Hatter's Writing-Desk
by sankage
Summary: An escaped Jervis Tetch gets a night visit from a writer who convinces him to an interview for a new fiction story idea. He then finds himself a willing henchwoman, and perhaps also, another chance with love?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** "Everything about Batman: The Animated Series belongs to DC, Warner Bros. and its creators, so unfortunately for me, I don't own B:TAS version of Jervis Tetch. The only things I own is this story and my OC(s)."

**A/N:** "This was a plot bunny that kept hopping around my head for quite some time. I was at least able to ignore it at first, but then the White Rabbit evolved into the March Hare and drove me mad so I had no choice but to write this down. This is my first try on the realm of B:TAS and on Jervis so please be kind." _~ sankage_

* * *

**- Chapter 1 -**

Tired and quite sleepy from the long walk that started from Arkham all the way to the docks, Jervis Tetch found himself in an abandoned toy warehouse which had then become his only shelter from the rain.

He groaned slightly as he entered and made his way deeper into the warehouse, and then sat on the very first thing he set eyes on; a wooden crate. As he buried his face in his gloved hands, his thoughts fleetingly wandered about to what the morning paper might say once Arkham sends out the news about his escape.

"Oohhh..." he groaned again, dropping one hand but keeping the other still pressed to his forehead. "_'What day of the month is it?'_" he then asked himself, quoting from his beloved book and/or from his beloved Lewis Carroll.

Apparently Jervis wasn't quite certain about the exact time, all he could comprehend was that it was very early in the morning that the sun hasn't come out yet. So then explains his sleepiness since he had stayed awake all night back in his cell at Arkham to wait for the opportune time. If those people at the asylum thought he needed high-tech devices for escaping, they were absolutely wrong; now that's a mad genius. Simple things such as a spring from a mattress for instance could be helpful enough. Besides, he had his own ways in Arkham to gather other parts that he needed.

Yawning, he glanced around to see if there was anything that could make as a bed for him. A few minutes later, he was gathering five other wooden crates and was placing each side-by-side with the crate he had sat on previously. He then found a tattered tarpaulin and placed it on the crates, covering the wooden boxes like so. As he removed his blue overcoat and folded it into a small make-shift pillow, he climbed on his "bed" and tried to catch some sleep, not forgetting to remove his black top hat and placing it on top of his chest with one hand clutching it at the brim.

No sooner than he had closed his eyes, he had drifted into a dreamless sleep...

* * *

The beeping sound went on until the sleeping figure at the nearby desk finally sat up straighter on the chair, rather slowly. As she blinked a few times to focus her vision, the blurred image she was looking at became the night lamp.

Lazily getting up from the desk, Alexania Erewaker slowly walked over to the direction of her bed and was going for the alarm clock that was on top of a drawer beside the headboard. After having turned off the alarm, she gazed down on the time and slightly scowled at it when it read 4:30 in the early morning.

_Why in Gotham is my alarm set on 4:30?_, she had thought to herself and annoyingly replaced the digital clock on the drawer.

Stretching out her arms overhead, she went back to the desk and found a blank piece of paper on it. As she silently cursed to herself, it dawned upon her that she must have fallen asleep while trying to think of a plot for her new story. Actually, she didn't know how to begin it.

Though she already had an idea for what the story would be about; a normal man living a boring life who fell for a girl but gets rejected and in the end becomes insane. That's her trademark as a writer, see.

If Shakespeare is known for his beautiful tragedies and humorous comedies; if Marquis de Sade is notorious for his "sadistic" fictions of perversions; Alex on the other hand was well known to her readers and critiques alike for writing about fictional people who becomes insane or psychopaths by near end of the story.

The trick to it was that she uses different circumstances that leads for her characters' insanity. Her stories revolves around all the bad things the main character goes through and how it affects the character into finally losing his/her mind, and so being enveloped by the darkness that is madness for the finale.

Not even she herself knew why exactly does she writes such stories. Once she had told herself that perhaps it was because of her unusual fascination on how a person can be declared insane. In which this may also be the reason why she was more curious about Gotham's Rogues Gallery and their "conditions" rather than simply being afraid of them. Not that she doesn't fear them but curiosity had won over fear every time she would turn it over in her mind.

After pondering on the thought of whether she should try again on the story or get breakfast first, she chose to tuck herself to bed when she had turned off the night lamp on the desk.

* * *

"Your morning paper, sir."

Alfred Pennyworth had entered the wide dinning room where both Bruce Wayne and young Dick Grayson was having their breakfast.

It was already half-past seven in the morning, and the two that were at the table were doing their best to eat without so much as flinching every now and then each time they'd feel an ache on some parts of their upper body, which simply could not be helped since the encounter with Killer Croc last night was quite a fight and/or a struggle.

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce had said as he took the newspaper from the butler's gloved hand.

The cup of hot coffee had froze mid-way to Bruce's mouth after having read the headlines. This wasn't left unnoticed by Dick and so asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

"What is it?" the young man had asked. "Robbery? Kidnapping? Murder? Or something plain crazy?"

"Tetch escaped from Arkham," Bruce replied, not taking his eyes off the paper and finally able to take a drink from his coffee. "Earlier just this morning. _Much_ earlier."

"So, we'll go looking for him tonight?" said Dick; it wasn't entirely a question.

"We don't do anything until he comes out of the open." Bruce had set down the newspaper aside on the table, his eyes on the young man this time. "He's out so I'm sure he'll try to do something, that way will be easier for us than just looking for him."

Looking up from where he was about to take a sip from his own coffee, Dick quirked up a dark brow but then shrugged.

"You're the boss, and it isn't a bad idea. Besides, we can take him."

Elbows placed on the table and both hands in front of him with fingers tangled together, Bruce continued to look serious as he added, "But we'd still be going on patrol tonight."

"Yes, and while you're at it, sir," chimed in Alfred who still present near the table where he was silently listening to the two, "let me remind you about your 8:30 meeting."

The expressions on Bruce's face somehow lighted up, as he snapped his head to look up towards his butler. "Meeting? What meeting?"

Ah, so Batman flew away, and Bruce Wayne was the one present...

"The meeting you had your secretary scheduled_ today_, sir," replied Alfred. "The board meeting, or have you forgotten?"

"I set the date myself?" asked Bruce, as though still in the process of trying to remember about said meeting. When Alfred quirked up a brow, Bruce just looked down on his wristwatch.

"Right," said Bruce. "Well, I don't think I'll be late. I still have time."

Dick was smirking to himself under the cup as Bruce started eating his breakfast which was hardly touched since it was placed on the table, while Alfred shook his head as he went along.

"Very good, sir. I'll tell the driver to go get the car ready."

* * *

When Alex finally got to work, it was already 9:30 and the first thing that greeted her was the angry nagging of her boss, demanding she explain herself why she was late but wasn't even letting her answer the question. The other employees around just watched and kept quiet, forgetting their works for a moment.

"Time is important here, Alex! I was waiting for you to submit your work, and when I said at eight o'clock, I _mean_ eight o'clock!"

Except for being a writer, Alex worked for a magazine company as a columnist. Her job would have been easier if it wasn't for her boss...

"Not earlier than that, and certainly not later than that! Though it would have been better if you were earlier... Look, don't get me wrong, I like you but... Are you listening to me?"

Alex looked up from where she was so boringly scribbling on a piece of paper on her desk inside her cubicle.

"Yes, Miss Fi...I mean, yes, _Mister_ Fitzralph."

She forced a charming smile to her third-sex boss, but was imagining of strangling said gay man with her own bare hands.

"Oh, stop that!" spat her boss. "Now, where's the new article for your column?"

Alex looked down on the held out hand for a moment before pulling out a folder from her drawer and handed it over. When the folder was taken, Mr. Fitzralph looked about to glare at the other employees, who went back to their respective works in each of their cubicles the moment he turned to them. After one final glare at Alex, Mr. Fitzralph went walking back to his office. The very moment he turned his back, it was Alex's turn to glare.

When the boss finally disappeared behind the door, Alex continued to glare at the piece of paper full of doodles that was still on her desk. Her attention was only drifted to another when she heard a light tap from the neighboring cubicle.

"You OK back there, Alex?"

It was Tobias Gray, or as well known to most of the employees, simply "Tobi". He wasn't a friend of sort to Alex, but seemed to be the only one who somehow listens to her and talks to her, like in a _real_ conversation. But Alex had figured it out as not just an act of kindness, but because the man seem to have a liking for her. In fact, he had been wooing her without success for the last two years, but she just wasn't interested.

"I'm fine, Tobi, thanks. I got used to it, by now."

"How's your sleep last night?" asked Tobi, who had stood up and popped his head out from the the only thing that separates the two cubicles to look down on the brunette who was still keeping her anger in check.

Alex tucked a few locks of brunette hair behind one ear and exhaled before saying, "_'In visions of the dark night, I have dreamed of joy departed;_  
_But a waking dream of life and light, Hath left me broken-hearted.'_''

Tobi smiled despite himself.

In the three years he had known Alex, he had grown accustomed to her constant quoting from famous quotations or any such particular poems. Yet still, he had never understood what exactly did she mean by it. Someone would have to venture deeper within those lines when Alex quotes to understand what she was trying to imply.

"You're losing me here, doll," he said to her. "Speak prose."

The brunette only sighed. "I had the same dream again, and I still don't know what it means."

"You mean that dream about suddenly falling into a hole then you find yourself in a room with a glass wall?"

Alex nodded as she crumpled the paper full of doodles and threw it on the nearest garbage basket. "It's like an interrogation room. Only, I can see the people outside the same as the people outside can see me inside."

Tobi stood a while in thought, a hand under his chin.

"Hmm... The same dream for five straight days... You need to talk to a professional about this."

"I know." Alex brought a hand to her forehead, thinking that she may have a headache any minute. "But it's not entirely the dream that bothers me, it's the man in my dream."

"Maybe it was just me?" said Tobi, sounding a little hopeful with a goofy grin on his face. At this, Alex simply scoffed.

"Don't be ridiculous," she had replied. "Why in Gotham would I ever dream about _you_?" Tobi's grin vanished, as he gave the brunette a half-hearted glare. "Besides, the man in my dream has blond hair, and you're not blond."

"Maybe it's just someone you know a long time ago," replied Tobi flippantly with a dismissive wave of a hand.

"That's the problem, Tobi. I don't know about that because I don't get to see his face," explained Alex, her hand coming to rest on the back of her neck, only slightly feeling a sting of pain there. "In my dream, he always have his back to me."

Again, Tobi stood in thought.

"Well, do you ever hear this man in your dream talk? Maybe his voice at least sounds familiar to you?"

The brunette simply shook her head. "He doesn't speak either. And each time I try to call for his attention, I'd wake up."

Nodding, Tobi really didn't want to press more on the matter, so he changed the subject.

"How's the new story coming?"

He watched as the brunette buried her face on her hands, as he heard a groan from her.

"No luck?" he asked, though it wasn't much of a question.

"I don't know how to begin with it," replied Alex, pulling a few folders from her drawer and shuffling through it as though looking for something, disappointment was heard in her voice. "I think I need to interview someone to get a good plot idea. You know, base my story on real life events. I need a real person."

Tobi just quirked up a brow. "Question is, who?"

With her pen ready in hand just as she was to start with her work, Alex sighed. "That's the very question I want answered."

As though by chance, Mr. Andrews came in with the morning paper in hand.

"Good morning, Miss Erewaker," the man greeted.

"Morning, Roger," greeted back Alex, not taking her eyes on her work, already busy.

"I've been reading the headlines, and look what I found."

Andrews held up the newspaper in his hands and read out loud for the brunette:

"_**'Mad Hatter Escaped Arkham.'**__ The head doctor of Arkham Asylum has informed the Gotham Police Department about the recent escape of one of its inmates, Jervis Tetch a.k.a. the 'Mad Hatter'. Tetch was said to have successfully implanted one of his mind control chips on one of the guards which then led to his smooth escape. Commissioner Gordon had reassured the citizens that the police will be looking for the escaped inmate, with the additional mention of Batman's assistance, saying, "If we don't get to Tetch first, Batman surely will. Rest assured, this mad man will be brought back to Arkham."_

"It goes on with some other stuffs such as this interview with the guard that's been mind-controlled, but the main thing is that Hatter escaped."

Suddenly realizing something, Alex stopped what she was doing and looked up to Andrews.

"Wait, Tetch? What do you remember about how he got to Arkham in the first place?" she asked, unable to stop herself.

Andrews shrugged. "Multiple kidnapping, using mind-control on his victims to have his own Wonderland." Andrews had barked out a short laugh at the latter part. "The poor man's completely nuts. Oh yeah, and they say it was because of a girl he likes who's just not interested in him."

Something in Alex's mind snapped.

Of course! Jervis Tetch! That man who dressed up as a fictional character from a book to impress a girl. The one who used mind-control on innocent people. The man who became mad because of his infatuation for a girl. The perfect subject...

Alex smiled charmingly to Andrews. "Thank you for stopping by and telling me about the news, Roger."

The man only shrugged once more. "Anytime, Miss Erewaker," he said as he excused himself and left.

Tobi, who had been listening, once again popped his head out and looked down on his neighbor whom he saw was smirking to herself.

He frowned.

"I don't like that look on your face, doll. You're thinking of something."

Alex didn't reply, and just gave Tobi a fleeting glance, then went back to work.

She had a very reliable contact whom had been very useful for research in her work and had never failed her before; this contact would be able to help her in finding where Tetch might be hiding for the meantime. If she could be lucky enough, perhaps she'd be able to find the "Hatter" before the police or the Batman does.

* * *

**A/N:** "I know what you're all thinking - it stinks. But I did say this is my first try on a B:TAS fanfic, so pleeeease be kind. R&R either way. I'd like for ya'all to tell me what you think."

_Alex quote from a poem by Edgar Allan Poe, entitled A Dream._


	2. Chapter 2

**- Chapter 2 -**

Night time...

Alex suddenly found herself in the docks, as she stood within a few feet away from the Stacked Deck.

She heard what the Deck is so notorious for - the usual hang out for criminals and most of the members of Gotham's Rogues Gallery. This was where exactly her contact told her to meet up with. Normally she wouldn't agree to such a meeting place because she never liked it there, but then again, she had worked with her contact for three years and trust in him a great deal.

Hey, the guy saved her life more than twice already, that was enough for her.

A few minutes later, her contact appeared from the shadows.

"Evenin', Miss Alex."

Alex turned around slowly, her expression neutral as she faced the man in a black trench coat.

"Evening. How's the wife and kids?" she asked.

"Quite fine. Little Jillian's been wondering when will you visit us at home again."

Lucas Chester, a man of average height and fair complexion who was happy living with his family. He used to be a private investigator, but retired after his second child was born and settled with as simple as a high-school teacher. Still he became a contact who helps the police and to some people who's desperate to find someone with different reasons, but his most favorite costumer he met three years ago.

A young woman of brunette hair and the deepest of black colored eyes. Good-looking, could be cautious at times, and it was also hard to make her smile sometimes. He had also assumed that she was a little mad on a few things.

For most of the people who hires him, he was called simply "Lucas" or "Chester" but to Alex, he's "Ches".

"Three years and I still am quite surprised by how well you do your job, Ches." Alex had walked over to Lucas more closely.

"You mean of how fast I sometimes do it," replied Lucas, smirking a little behind the darkness of the night.

Alex returned the smirk as he inclined her head subtly. "You sure you saw him here?" she then asked.

"The old toy warehouse," answered Lucas, he then held out an arm towards a direction away from the Stacked Deck.

The two old friends had walked along for a few minutes in silence. Lucas was glancing once in a while to the brunette but it took a minute more before he could ask the question that's been bothering him in his mind.

"You do know who and _what_ this man is, don't you?"

Not risking a glance to the man, Alex only answered with, "Yes, I do."

Lucas shook his head, trying to stop himself from chuckling but unable he was to hold back a smirk.

"You're willing to make a deal with a psychopath for your story? Huh! You're really crazy sometimes."

"Thank you for the concern, Ches."

Not too long after, they reached an abandoned warehouse. Although hesitating more than he had ever before with his work with Alex, Lucas didn't went in with the brunette. It was part of the work; after he shows her to the exact place, she would ask for him to leave her alone and let her do what she had to do. But he had chose to stay close by just in case for the past years. Tonight, he would _definitely _stay close.

Finally entering the warehouse, Alex went on with very cautious steps, glancing around for any signs of the man she was looking for.

* * *

He wasn't quite certain what it was, but Jervis did hear someone entering the warehouse. For a split second there, after he had hid himself behind tall stacks of doll boxes, he prayed silently in his mind that it wouldn't be the Batman. But relief somehow came over him when he took a peek from the behind the boxes, where he saw a dark figure of a woman slowly coming in.

With one of his 10/6 cards in hand where he had his mind-controlling chips implanted, he was silently hesitating in his mind to use it. His escape from Arkham was indeed smooth but also too quick, he didn't have time to grab a few more of his cards so he only got to carry one. Although he was trying all day to make more, hunger was getting in the way.

Carefully and with great caution, he had sneaked out of the warehouse that morning to try and look for breakfast. Unfortunately he couldn't get to town and out of the docks to steal any while his spare cash was only able to give him one cup of tea which he got from the Stacked Deck. The first time he went there was with Jonathan Crane a.k.a. "Scarecrow", and after becoming a known costumer and a prominent member of the Rogues Gallery, tea had always been available to him each time he'd find himself there.

Footsteps had come to a halt all of a sudden as Jervis made ready to seize the woman. After a short moment of silence, the woman spoke.

"Mister Tetch? I know you're here."

_She knows?_, thought Jervis to himself. _How?_

"I'm alone, I assure you," the woman spoke again. "I'm just here to talk, if you'll lend me ears and listen."

Jervis slightly frowned at this.

What kind of a person would go looking for a member of the Rogues Gallery just to talk? And all alone? And this one was a woman and seem to be a perfectly normal citizen, not to mention.

Cautiously stepping away from his hiding place, Jervis showed himself to the woman, half of him was thinking that this could be a trick.

He must have been glaring too much as he eyed the woman because she took a step back and a short gasp the moment he stepped out under better lighting. He watched on in silence as she tried to compose herself once more.

She was at least as tall as Harley Quinn and/or Poison Ivy, observed Jervis after regarding her more carefully. Her long, brunette hair was tucked behind the ears and her eyes were of the darkest kind he had ever seen. A black trench coat worn over a light blue blouse and black slacks were her clothes, while she wore high-heeled shoes. She was also carrying a brown bag but there were no accessories about her person, though her face and seemingly slender figure was enough for her to be called beautiful if not pretty.

"M-Mister Tetch," she almost stuttered. "Sorry, it's just, this is the first time I ever saw you in person. I only got to see you in pictures on the newspaper or the TV even sometimes."

After one last look on the brunette from head to toe, Jervis finally asked, "Who are you, and what is it do you want?"

The brunette thrust out her hand to him. "Alexania Erewaker, known to most as simply 'Alex'. You can call me whatever you want."

Glancing briefly on the held out hand, Jervis took it rather hesitantly in a handshake.

"It's rather dangerous to have a 'talk' with one of _us_, Miss Erewaker," the "Hatter" said as he released his grip and retracted his gloved hand from the handshake. "Especially in the middle of the night at the docks, and quite alone. Especially for a woman."

Her smile wasn't kind. "Well, I'm not most people, if that's what you're thinking."

He slightly tilted his head to one side, still keeping his blue gaze on the brunette. "We'll see. You did mention about wanting to talk to me?"

"Yes I did," she replied rather quickly. "But I thought maybe we can talk it over some tea?"

Jervis's ears pricked up. "Tea?" he replied.

_Good thing I've come prepared_, the brunette thought to herself. "Yes tea, I've brought some cups with me too. Maybe you got a table or something around here where we can have tea more properly?"

Jervis brought a finger in front of his mouth, looking towards the direction of his left. When he looked back to the brunette, he held out a hand towards the general direction and slightly bowed.

"Right this way, Miss Er-"

"Alex! Just Alex."

"Of course. Miss Alex."

The two then left together. Minutes later they found themselves sitting on the floor just across each other at a small plastic table which was obviously built for children to play with.

Jervis had watched with interest as "Miss Alex" got out a small thermos and some tea with a small container of sugar including two cups and a teaspoon, and still kept silent as she poured hot water on both cups and made tea.

They both sipped their respective cups before Alex spoke once again.

"Shall we go to business?"

"What business exactly would it be, my dear?" Jervis asked with mild interest, his gaze set on his cup, a small smile of satisfaction on his face.

"Well, let me be direct to the point." Alex settled down her cup before continuing. "I want you to tell me _your_ real-life story so that I can write _my_ fictional story."

The blond haired Englishman looked up with a quirked brow. "I beg your pardon?"

Alex smiled despite herself.

"I'm a novelist, Mister Tetch, and I'm planning to write a new book. And I want it to base on real life events to make it more realistic."

"Ah, I see," Jervis nodded subtly and sipped some more tea. "So, I'm a research material to you."

"No." The "Hatter" looked up to the brunette once more, her expressions were more serious. "You're far more valuable than that."

First he was suspicious about this woman, now he was confused. He couldn't see how he could be able to understand just what might be going inside her mind.

"_'Curiouser and curiouser'_," he said almost more to himself, quoting from his favorite book. Alex on the other hand only quirked up a brow, she knew what it was since it was Alice's famous line from the book yet she wasn't certain what exactly the Englishman meant about it.

Jervis had settled down his own cup on the table and looked up to the brunette more intently with a wide grin. "But what exactly do you want to hear from me, my dear?"

She smiled back. "I suggest we come to terms before venturing our way to that."

"Oooh, clever little lass," he said, leaning over a little closer as placed his elbows on the table, bringing his hands together and rested his chin on said gloved hands. "Let us see how you'll convince me to agree."

"With persuasion, of course."

"Then do persuade me."

She then eyed the Englishman more carefully before she spoke. "Have you ever considered retirement from crime?"

Jervis said nothing in return but the look in his eyes told Alex he was telling her to continue.

"You know? Leave Gotham, get away from Arkham forever, maybe go back to England?" she went on, her gaze not leaving his face. "Get as far away from the Bat? Have you ever considered doing that?"

"Perhaps I have," he replied with suspicious look towards her direction. "But that requires money. And lots of it."

"I'm an only child who inherited _all_ of what my parents had left when they died," said Alex rather quickly. "I also have an aunt from my mother's side who never married and wasn't able to have children, and being her only niece she left me all of her money which is clearly stated in her will."

She took another sip from her tea before she went on to finish.

"So yes, I have money and a whole lot of it, but money isn't quite important to me. You see, Mister Tetch, I was pretty much spoiled by my parents when I was young giving me almost everything I want. Personally now that I'm all grown up, I'd rather live a simple life, so here's what I can offer you: Half of my inheritance from my aunt."

Jervis looked as though he was not quite convinced, but before he could say anything, Alex spoke up again clearly not finish yet.

"After I finish my story I'll give you the money and you can use it in any way you want. Disappear into some place far away and I promise that no police or Batman will ever chase after you."

The Englishman blinked a few times as though not believing what he heard. "All this just for a story?" he asked.

The brunette sighed and forced a subtle smile. "I know what you're thinking...I'm mad."

"_'You must be,' said the Cat, 'or you wouldn't have come here'_," the "Hatter" said, once again taking another drink from his tea.

Her smile widened as she gave her own quoted reply, "_'A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free.'_"

Only slightly surprised, Jervis said, "Do I hear you quoting from someone?"

"Yes, I do that sometimes," replied the brunette simply. "Guess we have something in common."

"Huh! I don't mean to disappoint you but I've already met someone who quotes from literary works like me. Nursery rhymes, more likely."

"You mean the 'Scarecrow'?"

"Jonathan, if you will."

Alex nodded, and she kept silent for a few moments before speaking again.

"Have we come to an agreement?" she cautiously asked.

"There's another matter to consider, my dear," Jervis said shaking his head. "How can I trust in you that you wouldn't tell the police or, if ever so, the Batman?"

Alex shrugged. "Personally I don't know what I can gain from doing that, but trust me, I won't. Besides, this is business between you and me. The Law has nothing to do with it."

She thrust out a hand across the plastic table before the blond-haired man was able to say a word.

"Do we have a deal or not?"

After an awkward moment, Jervis took the held out hand and sealed their deal.

"Thank you, Mister Tetch," she said as she got up and pulled out a small folded piece of paper from her coat pocket, then threw it on the table. "You come to me when you're ready, I'll be waiting." And with that, she left without another word, not even caring if her tea wasn't finished nor did she care about leaving the thermos and the cups.

Jervis slowly took the piece of paper and unfolded it. As what was expected, it was an address..._her_ address.

"_'Well! I've often seen a cat without a grin,' thought Alice; 'but a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever saw in all my life!'_"

At this quoted remark, Jervis was simply referring to how intrigued he was on the woman who just left.

"And here I thought every possible person considered insane in this city is at Arkham." He took another sip of tea. "Perhaps I was wrong."

* * *

**A/N:** "Just want you to know, Alex quoted from Nikos Kazantzakis concerning madness."


	3. Chapter 3

**- Chapter 3 -**

Tobi combed his hair with his hands before coming to stand near the opening of Alex's cubicle. He stood there for a while and tried to capture the brunette's attention by clearing his throat, and yet to his annoyance, Alex was to busy clearing up her desk to even notice him. The only reason she was able to notice him was, as if by mere chance, she looked up to find him standing there.

"You need something?" she asked as she went back to whatever she was doing.

At this, Tobi once again regained his smile. "If you're not busy tonight, I was thinking about- "

"No."

"But, but..."

If there were anything else that Tobi had to say, he wasn't able to because in truth he was in a lost of words.

"First of all," said Alex, dumping a few of her belongings in her bag, "since when did I ever went out with you? And second of all, I'm busy tonight. I'm going to see someone for my story."

Tobi's ears pricked up in attention. "You're currently seeing someone?"

"Well," Alex looked up to Tobi, "not _seeing _seeing. It's just business, nothing more."

"Is he someone I know?" asked Tobi, unable to stop himself from asking.

Alex only smirked. "He could be." At her reply, the co-worker only frowned.

"What does that suppose to mean?" he asked.

The brunette ignored this question and was on her way to leave when her co-worker asked again.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to cook dinner, I'm expecting him to come tonight."

"You invited him to your _HOUSE_?" exclaimed Tobi, earning a few looks from the other employees present, but he ignored this. "But, but, since when did you ever invited _anyone_ to your house?"

The brunette held out a hand and waved it goodbye as she said over her shoulders, "See you tomorrow, Tobi." Within minutes, she was out of the door, having left Tobi still wondering with a lot of questions in mind.

"Great, I think I just lost my chance to this Mystery guy," he muttered to himself as he went back to his cubicle and sat down heavily on his office chair. "Whoever he is..."

He looked up towards the only clock around the office and frowned slightly as the clock on the wall read a quarter to six.

* * *

"I'm glad I ran into you, Jonathan."

On one dark corner inside the Stacked Deck, the "Scarecrow" and the "Mad Hatter" sat across each other at a small round table. Each were seemed to be having some tea, as a request from Jervis, while Jonathan was in his Scarecrow costume without the mask.

"It's a wonder you haven't tried doing anything yet now that you're out of Arkham," said the ex-professor, eyeing the Englishman before him.

"I don't think I'll be trying anything as of now," the blond-haired man replied, his gaze was on his tea cup.

Jonathan quirked up a brow rather suspiciously, his cup froze mid way towards his mouth. "Oh? And why not?"

The Englishman sighed and while still keeping his gaze away from his companion, said, "I'm once again considering about retirement."

"Hmph!" scoffed the ex-professor, as though not believing what he heard. "The last time you did try, the Bat got in the way, as he always had. I'm curious though; How do you plan on doing that this time?"

"Well, you may not believe it but," started Jervis, "someone has offered me a handsome amount of money last night."

"Who?"

"A writer... A woman."

Sitting back on his chair as he held up a hand under his chin, Jonathan was regarding his companion with a calculating eye. So far, he had seen no reason why Jervis should lie to him about this matter, but the idea itself seemed rather...unbelievable in a way.

"Where did you meet?" he asked, and this time, Jervis looked up.

"In the warehouse I'm currently hiding."

"Hmm..." Jonathan appeared thoughtful for a moment. "So a female writer came to you last night and offered you money. And of course, she had asked for something in return from you?"

"She wanted to base her new story she had in mind on real-events," answered Jervis. "To put it simply, she wanted me to tell her my story on how I became to be what I am known now."

Leaning over once again and placing his elbows on the table, Jonathan continued to look intently at Jervis. "Was she referring to ever since your childhood or during your days at Wayne Enterprise?" he asked frankly.

"She hasn't mention anything," answered Jervis truthfully. "But I suppose I'd find out when I go to her."

Quirking up a brow once more, Jonathan wasn't certain whether the Englishman was telling him the truth, or making it all up. "You know where to find her?"

Jervis nodded his head, much to Jonathan's amusement. "I know _exactly_ where she lives."

The two men stared at each other for a long time as though trying to figure out one another. It was the ex-professor who broke the silence and who broke away from the staring contest when he made off to drink from his cup.

"If that were so, then I take that she left you her address?"

Jervis didn't say a word and just nodded once more.

"This woman you talk of is unusual," added Jonathan as he settled down his cup once again on the table. "Not everyone in this city is even crazy enough to approach one of _us _with such an offer for such a _small_ purpose."

Unable to hold back a smile, Jervis took up his own cup and drank from it. "She's not most people, at least according to her."

"So you agreed?" the ex-professor asked, arms across his chest.

The Englishman opened his mouth to answer, his gaze once again not on his companion. "The offer was tempting, but the writer was intriguing."

"What do you mean by intriguing?"

This time there was no answer, Jervis that kept drinking his tea and smiling to himself. Or was it more of a smirk?

After a grand total of thirteen seconds, Jonathan decided to asked a different question.

"So, I expect that you will be meeting her at her place?"

Jervis looked up with his eyes only under the brim of his top hat but for a brief moment only, as he cast his gaze back on his tea.

"We'll see..." he said in almost a whisper.

"_'There was a little girl, And she had a little curl...'_"

Again, the Englishman looked up to his companion, finally hearing the "Scarecrow" himself speak after a few minutes they were seated there.

"_'...Right in the middle of her forehead; When she was good'_," Scarecrow continued, "_'She was very, very good, But when she was bad, She was horrid.'_"

"Does that suppose to mean anything?" asked Jervis.

"It's a warning," Jonathan said simply. "For the sake of you and my conscience, which I never thought I had any, do watch your back."

A wide grin slowly sliced across the Englishman's face. "Why Jonathan, I didn't know you care too much."

* * *

The wall clock in the dinning room read 8:06 and Alex was half thinking that perhaps the "Mad Hatter" won't be showing up after all.

Dinner, which she had cooked an hour ago and had prepared a few minutes ago, was growing cold by the minute. She had already eaten earlier, so the dinner on the table was intended for _him_, that is _if_ he had still planned to come.

Already, she was beginning to think that the fact that she went through all the trouble of contacting Ches and preparing herself to meet him was going to waste, and that she would have to think of another approach for her story. Then again, there was always Harley Quinn; the Joker's girl who only fell into madness because of the Clown Prince of Crime himself.

Harley did captured Alex's attention when she first thought about her new story idea, but the jester girl's story didn't appeal to her. This was the reason why she turned down the idea of Harley being an inspiration to her story.

Once again, she looked up on the wall clock with a worried look on her face.

What if he got caught by the Bats along the way?

But Alex shook her head to such a thought.

Then, as if by chance, she heard something from the living room. Slowly and cautiously, she stood up from her seat as quietly as possible. On tip toe she approached the living room with a frying pan in hand until she saw a dark figure who came in from the window. She had the frying pan held up high overhead when suddenly, the figure turned around and they locked eyes.

"Why, good evening, Miss Alex."

It was him. The Mad Hatter.

"Oh! I-I-It's you! Y-Yes, yes! Good evening."

"Um, you seemed to be, cooking?" asked Jervis, indicating the frying pan that Alex was still holding.

After realizing what the "Hatter" was referring to, Alex quickly lowered the pan and almost shyly replied, "Sorry about that. I thought you were...well, someone else."

"I hope you don't mind me having come in to your home from the window," said the Englishman. "The front door wasn't an option."

"No, no! I understand," reassured the brunette. "By the way, I fixed dinner, if you're interested." She held out one hand towards the dinning room and kitchen all in one.

They both went in to the room as Jervis sat down at the table with Alex. After Alex offered him to eat up with reassurance that she already ate before he came, he ate dinner in silence, oblivious to the dark gaze set on him. He only got to notice Alex was watching him when he looked up to wash down the food in his mouth with a drink of water.

"Is there anything wrong, Miss Alex?" he asked.

"Hmm? Oh! Nothing." Alex ran a hand down her hair. "It's just, you don't have your hat on."

"Table manners requires removing all sort of clothing on the head," said Jervis, briefly pointing up his bare, blond head. "But yes, I understand, I rarely remove my hat. But for some unknown reason, I thought perhaps it was proper to remove it whilst I eat." He let out a short and low laugh. "If any of the old chaps were here, or Jonathan for instance, they'd say I'm calling to impress someone."

Mouthing an 'ah', Alex only nodded. "And by 'old chaps' you mean, the other rogues?" The answer she got was a nod. "Well, there's nothing wrong about you without your hat really," she then tried to explain. "It's just, it's the first time I ever saw you without it. And now that I had a good view of your blond hair, I think it's kind of...I don't know, more gold than blond. It's actually beautiful in a way." She let out a nervous giggle. "But then, that's just me."

Though Jervis said nothing in return, he had many things in mind after what the brunette he was with said. Why would she think his hair was, _beautiful in a way_, as she had put it? And more gold than blond? No one has ever told him that about his hair, not even his own mother.

"Would you like for me to clean up after myself?" he asked suddenly, referring to the then empty and dirty plates.

"No, I got it," said Alex as she stood up from her seat and gathered the china wear.

"At least let me help you clear the table," Jervis offered as he firmly replaced his top hat on his head.

He wasn't certain himself why he was trying to be kind or quite civil in his own small ways around this brunette, but perhaps it was because of the reason that she hadn't given him a reason to act otherwise. So far, she had showed to be as not a threat to him at all.

After leaving Alex to wash the dishes, which she had insisted on doing herself, Jervis found himself again in the living room. He had removed his blue overcoat and placed it near him on the sofa as he sat. That was when he noticed a very thick book on the glass table. It's hardcover was a dark brown color with gold-like writing that said: "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare".

Though not really quite interested in Shakespeare's works, Jervis lifted the book from the table and opened it on a random page. Later, he was shuffling through the pages in search of the only play he was well aware of among the many others that Shakespeare wrote; Romeo and Juliet. The play was famous enough for even him to have known about it.

He read it with very mild-interest, only jumping from a few lines and not reading all. He figured it was at least a good way to spend time while waiting for Miss Alex to finish.

He was already at the balcony scene when he had flipped to the next page. A small folded piece of paper was there and seemed to have something written on it. Taking the paper and lowering the book beside him on the sofa, he unfolded it and was surprised. Just one look on those written words and he knew immediately what it was, he could never be mistaken, even if it was handwritten. It was Lewis Carroll's poem from _Through the Looking Glass_, the **_Jabberwocky_**.

"_'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves...'_"

The womanly voice made Jervis look away from the piece of paper, only to find Miss Alex entering the living room. She was reciting the poem.

"_'...Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; __All mimsy were the borogoves,_ _And the mome raths outgrabe.'_"

She had sat down beside him on the sofa when she had finished the first verse.

"I'm not much of a fan of Carroll's works," she said to him, meeting his blue gaze, "but it's a personal favorite of mine." She nodded once on the paper in Jervis's gloved hands. "That's my hand writing there, I wrote it down one very boring day, instead of reciting it to myself." Her gaze then fell on the paper, a smile on her face. "I like how it doesn't make sense in a way, but still comes out beautiful, you know?"

When she met his gaze once again none one of them spoke a word. It was Jervis who broke off from the stare and brought his gaze back on the paper. "Y-Yes," he almost stuttered. "Of course I do."

"Of course you do," she repeated, causing him to look up to her again. "You _are_ the 'Mad Hatter', right?"

As they once again fell into silence, before they started a new staring contest, Alex slowly stood up and said, "I'll be going to my room and get a notepad and pen, then when I come back maybe we can start."

Jervis nodded, once again finding his smile. "Yes, take your time."

When Alex did came back moments later, she asked him about his first days at Wayne Enterprise. He went all the way from when he was first employed by Mr. Bruce Wayne, to meeting his boss Dr. Marcia Cates, to the time he first met Alice Pleasance.

He was half-way to telling Alex just what he thought of Alice on their first meeting when Alex suddenly realized the time.

"Oh damn, look at the time," she said, looking intently at the wall clock in the living room. Jervis had turned around to look at the clock himself when Alex had finally stood up.

"I think we'd have to continue tomorrow, Mister Tetch," said Alex, watching the Englishman stood from the sofa. "I have to go to work early in the morning, or my boss will be furious at me again."

"I understand," replied Jervis, coming to stand before the brunette as he towered over her. "Tomorrow I'll be back at the same time."

"Back? Oh, you'll be going back to the docks?" asked Alex.

"Of course, where else should I sleep for the night?"

"Oh, well, I was thinking of offering you to stay here in my house for the night." Jervis's eyes slowly widened in disbelief of what he heard. "Or perhaps until we finish this. I have a spare room."

"You'd, have me to stay, _here_?" he asked, not certain if he was hearing right.

"Why not?" replied Alex. "From now on, you're my guest. And this will be your home till I finish my story. I think it would be much more convenient that way for both of us. So that you don't have to go through the trouble of going out from the docks to here every night."

"But, having the criminally insane under your roof?"

"I know, but at least it gives you a reason to believe me that I won't tell the police. Or else I'd be declared as an accomplice."

Jervis stood a while in utter disbelief and surprise, as he took some time to figure out whether he should agree, or not.

"Well," he said after a moment, "I suppose it would be civil of me if I take your offer."

Alex smiled despite herself.

"You can use my so-called studio, I have a bed there."

* * *

**A/N:** "I had Jonathan refer to 'The Worry Men' episode from the series when he reminded Jervis about the last time he (Jervis) attempted to retire from a life of crime."

- I know there's not a lot people reading this, but if there ever was anyone reading at all, please send me a message of what you think.

~ sankage


	4. Chapter 4

**- Chapter 4 -**

The grayish-white colored ceiling was the first thing that greeted Jervis's vision when he woke up that morning. He blinked a few times and took a moment longer before slowly sitting up on the single-sized bed. He had swung his legs over the edge of the right side until his feet could feel the cold floor, having one hand wiping his eyes.

When he looked around the room, he was already expecting the pencil-drawn portraits that hung on the yellowish-white wall. The moment he turned his head to look behind him, he also expected the dark, mahogany desk and all the crumpled papers scattered around. And the trash basket was more than just full on the brim of even more crumpled papers.

He was inside the so-called studio of 'Miss Alex'.

"When this house was still in construction, I intended to have another room," she had said to him the night before. "When I'm doing nothing or _really_ bored, sometimes I decide to draw. And I draw a lot," she had explained. "So then I made this my own personal studio, and at times I'd be here so late at night I get too tired to go back to my room. That's why I decided to have a bed here."

He wasn't certain why he agreed to the idea of spending the night in her house, but the idea of having a proper bed to sleep on was tempting. But then, since he agreed, he would have to stay in the house until she finishes her story. On one hand it wasn't such a bad place to hide temporarily, and on the other hand, no one would have ever thought that he'd be hiding there.

As he slowly stepped into his shoes and reached for his top hat which he left perched on a hook on the wall then placed it firmly on his blond haired head, he made his way across the room towards the door, yawning as he did. He ignored his blue overcoat which he placed on a chair the night before. He didn't even had his tie on, so the moment he stepped out of the room, he was only wearing his lime-green shirt and blue pants. The first thing that welcomed him was the living room, including the smell of tea and toast. Breakfast.

When he entered the dinning room "slash" kitchen, he expected to see Alex at the table.

She greeted him with a warm smile.

"Good morning, I fixed us breakfast. How's your sleep?"

No one had ever asked him how was his sleep for a long time except for his doctor at Arkham during his therapy. Then again, it also had been a long time since anyone had ever fixed breakfast for him. A_ real _breakfast, unlike those that they serve back at Arkham.

"I slept fine, Miss Alex, thank you," he replied, returning the smile. "And you?"

"I had a dreamless sleep, but other than that, I slept fine too."

Jervis regarded the brunette as he sat near her at the table before he spoke again. "You're all dressed for work, I can see."

"Yes well, I have a need to go to work early today," answered Alex, giving a quick look at her attire. "Writers' meeting of some sort, and as one of the columnist, I had to attend."

Jervis nodded. "Then I suppose while you're away I'd be your housekeeper," he said almost playfully.

Alex gave a quick glance towards the living room before she looked back to the Englishman as she spoke. "You can watch TV all you want or do anything you like, but be sure you can't be seen by the neighbors." She took a sip from her cup before she continued. "And if you can, I'll give you permission here in the kitchen to cook for yourself 'cause I won't be here till...I don't know, maybe at least eight or later than that by night."

Nodding to imply he understood, Jervis was thinking of how this woman trust him as much as leaving him all alone in her own house.

"Just be sure you stay away from my room," Alex was saying.

Jervis smiled at her. "Of course, I will stay away as best possible from your room."

Well, at least there was one restricted area in the house.

As Alex replaced her cup on the table, she regarded the Englishman with her with a calculating eye.

"You know," she said, "you're rather too nice to talk with for a member of the Rogues Gallery."

Everything about Jervis's expressions changed, as he slowly looked down on the cup of tea in front of him, his eyes had turned into a subtle glare.

"Rather too nice?" he repeated, his hand slowly forming into a fist on the table. "Not many people in this city can say or think of such a thing about me. Not after what happened...what I did."

Just that glare made Alex wish she had stopped herself from the mistake she just did, but it was too late. Even though, she quickly made her move for a simple apology.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to."

The Englishman quickly looked up to the brunette, meeting her dark gaze with a blue one of his own.

"Why, no, my dear," he said shaking his head. "You shouldn't apologize. Most especially not to me."

Her expressions were a mixture of saddened and confused, but she forced a smile either way. "If you say so, Mister Tetch," she said.

"Jervis."

She blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"You allowed me to be your temporary guest here in your house," the Englishman explained. "And it is rather too proper of you to keep calling me that. Just call me Jervis."

A wide smile appeared across her face. "Only if you start calling me just 'Alex', deal?" She then held out a hand to him.

As he had done before, he returned the smile and took the hand in his own. "Deal."

* * *

The meeting was just as what the other meetings had been for Alex. Brainstorming about new article ideas and the usual who-gets-to-write-what appointment. But other than that, Mr. Fitzralph had been difficult same as always, at least for her it had. Conclusion? She was like being at high-school again, being that uninterested student sitting at the back of the class. _Way_ back.

_"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked._

On times like this her thoughts would wander off to somewhere else, and as of the moment, she was thinking about her guest whom she entrusted her house with when she left for work. Does that mean she trust people too much? To think that she'd left a criminally insane all alone in her house. In her _own_ house. But what trouble could he possibly do while there?

_"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."_

Perhaps most of the people whom she had interacted with such as Ches, could be true - that she could be crazy on some things. But that can't be helped now, can it? All of it started a long time ago, when she was just thirteen, and she was kidnapped by one of her mother's envious colleagues. The man was a lunatic, very ironic since he was like her mother, a psychiatrist.

_"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice._

She went to such a torture, and it wasn't physically, but psychologically. The man proved to be a complete mad genius in messing with a person's head. It took something crazy as well to help herself get a grip to at least stay sane. But even she herself, each time she'd be alone at night, sometimes she had questioned that sanity silently in her own mind. And it had been many times before.

_"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."_

Her mind... What _is_ on her mind...? How_ does_ her mind work...? Does it even work normally? Like average people?

_...How do you know I'm mad..._

"ALEX!"

The angry voice that was shouting her name made Alex almost jump on her seat, as her mind was brought back to reality. When she looked around, she found eyes set on her among the oval shape table. One of those eyes were from Mr. Fitzralph.

"Is there something wrong?" asked her boss.

"No," she replied immediately, regaining her composure on her seat, shaking her head. "I'm fine, I was just thinking about...home."

Fitzralph quirked a brow, but did not comment on it. "Well, while you're at it, we were talking about-"

"Yes, I know, I'm well aware." Alex raised a hand. "Jane is on maternity live so my answer is yes, I'll be handling her column temporarily."

That was one of the reasons why Fitzralph liked Alex despite his constant angry outburst at her every once in a while. The brunette could be very serious when about her work, one that Fitzralph would have more than enough for an employee.

"That settles it all then," said Fitzralph, gathering up the papers in front of his side of the table. "Meeting's over boys and girls, see to your work for the day after you have lunch."

Everyone had stood up from each of their respective seats including Alex, but she was stopped by Fitzralph.

"Not you, I'm not done with you yet," her boss said, intently looking at her while indicating the seat nearest to him.

Alex wasn't even the least bit nervous, because it wasn't the first time she was asked to stay behind. Taking the seat indicated to her, she once again found herself sitting down as she kept her dark gaze on the table. Her expression showed nothing, even her eyes were empty. That look on her face had made Fitzralph seemed afraid of the brunette for some reason, even before in her first year as a columnist under his watch and supervision. He couldn't forget how it was like the first time he ever saw that look.

He was once told that people who are usually like that could be impossible to read. And people who are impossible to read have thoughts that couldn't be understood by the _un_-professional mind.

"You know how I like you, right?" he said, but he wasn't expecting a reply, which wasn't quite a problem since the brunette didn't even say a thing. "When I give you a work, you do it seriously and you put your mind and time to it. But sometimes, girl, you creep me out."

He could have sworn he saw a smirk appeared in her face, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. Deciding to ignore it, he didn't comment.

"I don't know what else to call it," he continued. "Still, that doesn't mean I want you to change that because it's not even affecting how you work." Waiting for a beat or so, he thought she might want to comment on that, but she didn't. Once again, Fitzralph continued. "My point here is that, I don't know what goes in your mind, but not that I wanted to know anyway. But if ever something crazy happens to you, or whether it's _you_ who _does _something crazy, I want you to warn me before it happens."

At this, Alex looked up to her boss, either from being surprised or something else, she wasn't certain herself.

"So that I'd be ready," added Fitzralph. "You know, just in case."

_Is he trying to tell me that he thinks I'm mentally ill?_, Alex thought to herself. But she chose not to voice them either way.

She stood up from her seat. "Yeah, sure. Can I go to lunch now?" Her tone implied nothing, her expressions were still blank.

Fitzralph only nodded for a reply, as he silently watched the brunette went out of the room.

* * *

Lunch was good, and very silent. How could it not be when you were the only one at the table, not to mention being the only one in the house.

It was like being locked up, only difference was that it wasn't Arkham, and that he had to stay inside because he _must_. Also, he wasn't an inmate in the house, but a guest. Further more, there weren't guards nor doctors around.

Dinner was just as the same. Jervis had decided to eat dinner as early as 6:30 having remembered what Alex told him about expecting her to be home by eight or even later than that. As of the moment, it was already 7:45 in the night.

After he had cleaned up after himself, he settled with the idea of sitting on the sofa right in front of the TV.

_Might as well see the news_, he thought as he reached for the remote and clicked the on button. Then came on-screen a female reporter who had just finished whatever it was that she was saying and stepped aside only to give the viewers a better look on what was happening about in the background. And then there it was, the Clown Prince of Crime once again apprehended by the Dark Knight.

_What's he got himself into this time?_, thought Jervis but it wasn't like he was interested in any of what the Joker does.

As Joker was escorted to the van, Robin was close behind with Harley Quinn. At the very sight of the jester girl, Jervis simply shook his head. How on Earth did that Bandersnatch of a clown deserved to be loved with a love so loyal and devoted and blind such as what Harley was offering and will continue to offer him?

Jervis simply sighed as he changed the channel.

_What I would do to have a woman love me just as how much poor Miss Quinn loved that clown. Hmph! He doesn't even deserve her! Why, if ever a woman loves me like that, I'd make her princess of my Wonderland._

The thought made something snap in Jervis's mind.

He shook his head. "Don't be silly, Tetch," he said to himself. "What kind of woman would be mad enough to love you?"

Hmm... Mad enough... Now that's a thought.

Still, Jervis shook his head to such a thing and once again brought his gaze on the TV screen.

That was the same moment his thoughts altered towards 'Alex'.

Almost an hour ago, he had disobeyed her orders about not going into her room. He didn't know why he even thought of going in there, but he could have sworn he heard something inside and thought of having a look. At first, he was thinking it was impossible because he assumed that the brunette may have locked the door before she left. But to his utter surprise, the knob turned under his grip until he finally pushed open the door.

He hesitated in entering of course, but something that had quite caught his eye gave him enough urge to go in. There were several different kinds of hats all perched on respective nails on the wall just above the headboard of the bed.

As he slowly entered the room with his gaze fixated on the hats, he thought that he was walking right into his own room. It was a collection of hats that includes a jester cap, a fedora, a cowboy hat, a pirate hat, a newsboy cap, and others. He might have wondered then what Alex would do with such a collection.

When he made off to turn around to have a better look of the bedroom, he caught sight of a five foot bookshelf filled with books indeed, but what had really caught his attention was the black top hat on the topmost shelf.

He slowly approached the bookshelf and reached for the white-ribboned top hat which had a folded white paper tucked on it. Curious, he took out the note and opened it. The note read: 'To my lovely Alexania, put this in your collection. Love, Grandpa.'

_Grandpa? Her grandfather gave her this?_, he thought. _And what does 'your collection' meant? She collects hats?_

His gaze once again fell on the hats before he could stop himself. The mere sight of the hats made him smile. So, they have something in common. Then reality suddenly kicked in_,_ causing him to remember that he shouldn't be there in the first place. Quickly, he tucked the note back in place on the white-ribbon of the top hat and rushed for the door, not even locking it as he went out.

So then back to his current situation, sitting right in front the TV, watching with mild-interest on what the chef on-screen was doing with the turkey.

_We have one thing in common, _he said to himself in his mind. _But I wonder what else will I find out about this intriguing brunette...?_

* * *

The Dark Knight stood ever so still on the rooftop of an eighteen-floor building. While he let Robin be patrol around the city after the encounter with the Joker and not to mention Harley Quinn, he on the other hand had other things to do.

He still didn't know where to find the Mad Hatter, who was freely walking out on the streets by now and could have been plotting on things again. But so far, in six days time after the Hatter's escape from Arkham, said escaped inmate hadn't tried doing anything yet.

He had already been to the docks, at the Stacked Deck to be more specific, but all he found out was that after seeing the Hatter meet up with the Scarecrow, the patrons of the Deck hadn't seen any of the two since that night. Other than that, he also found out that the Hatter had left his hiding place already, which was that old toy warehouse not quite far from the Stacked Deck.

There was nothing entirely useful in the warehouse, not even a single 10/6 card was left behind.

The vigilante narrowed his masked eyes before turning to finally leave the rooftop.

"Wherever you are Tetch," he said to himself in a voice that's almost a whisper, "I'll find you."


	5. Chapter 5

**- Chapter 5 -**

"I'm back!"

Alex entered at the front door of her house, carrying shopping bags containing men's clothing.

It was already 8:30 in the evening.

"So how did you - "

Her sentence was left unfinished as she caught sight of the man sleeping on the sofa, a book on top of his chest with one hand over said book, and the other free arm was dangling on the edge to the carpeted floor. Somehow, the sight made her smile.

Setting down her shopping bags very slowly on the glass table, she sat beside the sofa, looking down on the sleeping face as she did so. His right eye was completely covered with blonde hair, his lips slightly parted and his overbite showing off as it usually does. As she continued to look at his sleeping and somewhat peaceful face, his chest rising and falling continuously, she almost forgot that the unaware Englishman was one of Gotham's most wanted.

Suddenly he stirred, rolling over on his side, causing the book on his chest to have slid down. Right before the book dropped to the carpet though, Alex had caught it and had set it down on the table when she heard him murmured something in his sleep, and whatever it was, she couldn't make out a single word of it because she couldn't understand it.

Still keeping her gaze on Jervis, she slightly tilted her head to one side, wondering what this English scientist was dreaming about...

* * *

_Jervis found himself making his way through the woods after his aimless talk with the Dodo, his pace implied that he wasn't in a hurry at all, though he was quite aware that he was terribly late already. But at least he won't be getting his head taken off if he showed up late to wherever he was going._

_Finally catching sight of his destination, he expected to see the March Hare at the huge table with lots of tea cups and teapots set on._

(If ever he noticed, it didn't bothered him, that the March Hare was Alex with long, brown bunny ears coming out from her brunette hair and overhead. She was dressed in a white, long-sleeved shirt worn under a brownish-colored waistcoat with matching pants).

_The moment he got close enough to the table, the one of the March Hare's ears twitched and immediately took notice of him, as she stood up abruptly with gloved hands balled into fists that were placed on either hips, a subtle scowl on her face. Clearly she was upset on something, which he had figured that perhaps upset on him._

_"You're late!" she told him, arms now then placed across her chest, one foot tapping on the ground as she eyed the Hatter coming to stand in front of her. "Two days late, to be exact. I was in the verge of thinking you forgot!"_

_"My watch is two days wrong, so who forgot what?" he simply replied, a playful smile on his face as he quirked a brow._

_"Just sit down!" the March Hare said, once again sitting down on her seat. "So you haven't come in good terms with Time yet?"_

_Jervis sighed sadly as he sat on the chair beside where Alex sat. "Apparently not. He's still angry with me."_

_Alex nodded as she poured herself some tea. "Guess who came and stopped by yesterday."_

_"Who?" Jervis asked, although his tone implied that he wasn't quite interested, as he poured himself some tea and took a sip._

_"Alice!"_

_The Hatter's ears pricked up in attention to the mentioned name, almost dropping to cup he had in his gloved hands. "She did? Why?" At this, the March Hare smirked under her cup._

_"Not for the reason that you're thinking, that is."_

_Jervis frowned. "Oh, pish posh! Just answer the question."_

_Slowly, the March Hare settled down her cup on the table with a shrug. "She came with a good bye note, because she's getting married and she might not be able to come back here the way she used to. She may not even return anymore, at least according to her."_

_The honest and almost innocent answer made Jervis look away, his gaze downcast, a slight scowl on his brows. Until suddenly..._

_"I want a clean cup! Come on, move down!"_

_He was startled by the voice but he didn't have time to say a word, as the March Hare tried to pull him to his feet and pushed him forward. Just as he was about to sit down after moving one place, Alex said, "No, no! One more, move one place more. Come on, to the next chair!"_

_He quirked up a brow but did not comment, as he did what he was told. When they were both seated again, Alex said, "I won't have you being the only one having the advantage when we move down, not anymore."_

_When he looked back to his companion, he had to choke back a laugh that was threatening to burst out._

_He cleared his throat but he was having a hard time in holding back a smile while he tried to speak. "And since when did you became so clever about the whole arrangement?"_

_"Since I've noticed!"_

_The March Hare's expressions made him finally let go of the laugh. And while he was still in the middle of it, he felt gloved hands cupping his face, making him turn his head towards the March Hare. There was something in those dark eyes he couldn't rightly explain when he met it with his own blue gaze._

_"Alice may not be around anymore," the March Hare said, "but I'll still be around to have tea with you always."_

_This surprised Jervis, and he found himself out of words. The only thing he was able to say was her name._

_"Alex..."_

_She gave him a Cheshire Cat grin._

_"Wake up."_

_His expressions turned into bewilderment._

_"What?" he asked._

_"Jervis, wake up."_

* * *

"Jervis, wake up."

He felt as though something, or someone, was shaking him gently. The March Hare's image blurred slowly but the voice continued.

"Hey, it's me, come on. I can't let you sleep out here."

Slowly, his vision made out a new image, though the image was rather the same in some way as the one that disappeared.

He blinked as he propped himself on one elbow, one hand rubbing his eyes. He looked again.

"Oh," he said, "hello, March Hare."

Alex jerked her head back. "March Hare? Jervis, it's me."

Jervis found himself blinking again, then snapped out of his dreamy state.

"Oh! Dreadfully sorry," he apologized to the brunette looking back at him as he came to a sitting position. "I was, uh, dreaming."

Alex smiled, white teeth showing. "Dreaming about what? That I'm the March Hare?"

It wasn't the fact that Alex made her question sound ridiculous, but it was the fact that the answer was simply 'yes' that made Jervis seemed out of words of what actually to say.

"Well, uh... Um..."

"Never mind," said the brunette, giving a friendly pat on the Englishman's hand as she came to stand, gathering the shopping bags as she sat down beside him. "I bought you some new clothes."

"Clothes?"

"Well you can't just be in your mad hatter regalia the whole time," said Alex, pulling out a green pullover vest from one shopping bag. "Going to sleep and waking up with the same clothes, well in Arkham maybe yes, but this isn't Arkham."

"No," Jervis said, shaking his head with a subtle smile suddenly appearing on his face, "it certainly is not." He was then forced to sat up straighter as Alex held up the vest to his upper body to see if it would suit him.

"I don't know your exact size but I hope it all fits," she said, carefully eyeing vest, imagining the Englishman was wearing it at the moment, "also I was hoping you wouldn't mind about my fashion sense." She said the latter part almost shyly as she put the vest back inside the bag.

"That would be fine, my dear," he replied. "I'm not one to have quite a fashion sense myself." And then, a thought occurred to him. "Oh how foolish of me!" One hand came slamming to his forehead as he exclaimed. "Have you eaten dinner already? I do hope so, because the dinner I fixed moments ago was only fit for myself. Would you like for me to make you some, Miss Al-"

He wasn't able to finish saying her name when a finger suddenly came to his lips.

"Don't tell me you forgot what we agreed on about addressing each other this morning," Alex said simply, slowly removing her finger.

He smiled again. "Yes. I mean no! No, I haven't forgotten, _Alex_." Again he offered, "Would you like to have dinner?"

"Nah," she shook her head, "I already got a bite on the way."

Coming to stand as she covered her mouth when she yawned, she bid her good night to the Englishman.

"You should go back to sleep in your room and I'll be getting some myself." She jerked a thumb towards the direction of her room. "See you in the morning, we won't be doing the interview for tonight, I'm too tired. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course. Good night, Alex."

"Good night, Jervis."

After the brunette disappeared into her room, Jervis was left to himself with the shopping bags. As he yawned, he decided to take the bags with him into his own room. Once inside, he pulled out all the clothes that Alex bought for him one by one. The clothes weren't entirely that bad, but he was wondering more about why had she even thought about doing such a thing. And for _him_.

Come to think of it, the last time anyone had given him anything was... quite a long time already. But then again, why would she ever think of giving him anything at all?

_What was she thinking when she bought this?_ he thought.

Unknown to Jervis that, right after Alex had gotten herself into her nightgown, she was thinking about the same thing.

She laid on her bed, the covers pulled all the way to her bosom, her gaze never leaving the ceiling, while her mind wandered off to what she had done moments ago before she went home.

Just as soon as she left work, the first thing, or person, that came to mind was her 'guest'. At first she thought about it this way: that she never actually had guests since the time she moved back to Gotham by herself, and she had never let anyone else step into her house. Ever since she got to Gotham she was alone, _really_ alone. Sure she knew most of her neighbors names, but she wasn't the _neighboring _type. Whatever that means. And people had started calling her a loner ever since 4th grade.

The classmates she went out with wasn't really what she called 'friends' just some kids she can hang out with. The only real people close to her were her parents, and when they were taken away from her, all she ever had were mere _acquaintances_. Just someone she had worked with and someone she knew. Ches? Not even Ches is a friend, just a contact. Though she had met the man's family and had been touched, she kept their relationship just pure business.

Just like all the rest, she had those high-school crushes in the past too, but she had always been afraid of such feelings for the opposite sex. It wasn't the movies, or the girls who got two-timing boyfriends, or the fear of getting hurt. No, none of that. It was just how silly she'd feel about herself when in such a state. And it all started with the first boy she ever liked, which ended up a disaster, at least for her it had.

And now, this mad man came. She wasn't sure whether was it because she didn't know the man that much or was it because she didn't know how to act when having a guest in the house.

She rolled over to her side, finally taking her gaze off the ceiling.

He must be thinking how silly she was. Because it _was_ silly. But she was just trying to be nice!

_"Well you can't just be in your mad hatter regalia the whole time."_

She did made sense somehow when she said that, right? Besides, he took it anyway.

* * *

The morning had started with quite a surprise for Alex, having found Jervis at the kitchen wearing the pj's she bought for him. It was surprising since she never thought she'd see the Mad Hatter in pajamas, also because she found it rather cute on him, where the latter part she had told him so out loud before she could stop herself. This had simply caused the Englishman to blush a bright color of pink on the cheeks.

After breakfast, Jervis put away his pj's and chose to be dressed on one of the new clothes that Alex bought for him, and then they had resumed the interview right where they left.

Jervis was more than just willing to talk about Alice once again, and eventually the entire interview had become a collection of his memories during his employment at Wayne Enterprises. He mentioned how this Dr. Cates would usually mention the phrase "someone's head will role" which had given Jervis the very idea that Dr. Cates is his own personal queen of hearts. Then Alice would be there, right at her desk, trying to cheer him up.

He had also made it clear of how he had thought all those times that, except for his enjoyment of his work, Alice was the only one giving him a reason to smile at work. And all the while Alex listened with full attention, jotting down notes into her notepad, nodding once in a while. Unknown to this writer that the Englishman had thought once or twice how their arrangement turned out to be like one of his therapy sessions with his doctor. Only difference was that he wasn't talking to a doctor, but to simply a writer. And he found the brunette rather easier to talk with.

Once they were finished, both were busy with their own works. Alex decided to start working on her column, including the one she had to take temporarily because the writer was on maternity live, while Jervis decided to work on making more of his mind-control 10/6 cards. One way or another there could be some reason that may force him to use some.

Right in the middle of their respective works, Alex had stopped and looked up from her typewriter and found herself staring at the Englishman sitting from across her at the table. Her eyes were fleetingly going from his serious and focused face to what he was doing.

Finally, she asked, "Just how many of those are you planning to make?"

Jervis looked up to her briefly before returning to his work. "Perhaps as many as I could."

She nodded, silently mouthing an 'ah'. "You're not planning to use one on me, are you?" she said teasingly with a smirk, which had caused the scientist to look up to her again.

A long awkward silence fell between the two as Alex's smile vanished, a dark gaze meeting blue ones in an unblinking manner. It was Jervis who looked away from the staring contest by returning his gaze down on the card he was currently working on.

"Well, not unless I find it necessary, no," he said, trying to figure what part of the card was he working on. "But I assure you, Alex, I won't be doing such. Though I understand why such an idea occurred to you."

Alex bit her lower lip. "I was just teasing, you know." She got a forced and hesitant nod as an answer.

Another awkward silence.

As Jervis had finally resumed his work on his card, he felt a warm hand carefully placed itself over his own. Looking up once again, he was expecting to see Alex, who had leaned over to his side of the table, the typewriter set aside to give room.

"Hey, I'm sorry, it was a stupid thing to say," she said. "But I really think you're not like the other rogues. Besides, I trust you."

Jervis's eyes widened but he wasn't able to say anything in reply, as he looked down once again on his work. When a subtle smile finally tugged at the corners of his lips, Alex retracted her hand and resumed her own work, once again replacing the typewriter in front of her.


	6. Chapter 6

**- Chapter 6 -**

Alex had started writing on her story, completely basing it on all the notes she had about her interviews with Jervis. She had all the characters set up, only twisting Jervis's story into her own version. If ever she encounters any problems along the way, at least she knew what she was doing. She had written other stories before and if ever she runs out of ideas, she had plenty of inspiration in one man, who happens to be living with her in her house for the last couple of days. And would be there till she finishes her story.

Days had turned into weeks, and she seemed to have maintained being in good terms with the Mad Hatter. A few days earlier she had showed him her hat collection, showed him her favorite hat that was kept on the top shelf of her bookshelf, explained to him why it was her favorite. She wasn't the least bit angry when he admitted he had already been in her room and had already seen her collection, she was surprised that he'd even have thought about telling her. Besides, she lost nothing in her room.

Even so, to ensure that he hadn't lost Alex's trust, Jervis let her have a try of using his mind-control. He showed her that he had a mind-control band under his hat, and taught her just how to be 'in-control'. They used rats just as the same way he did during his first experimenting stage of his device. All the while she felt like a child having given a new toy for her birthday when the rats did just as she ordered them to, like puppets in her strings. The mere idea was fascinating to her.

Their little exchange-gifts ritual went on with Alex buying the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland along with its sequel, Through the Looking Glass. When she gave both books to Jervis, the Englishman was more than just happy to receive it. And in return for the small yet sweet act, he taught her how to play chess.

As time went by, Jervis found himself connecting to another person in a form of a mutual friendship. Though he wasn't certain whether that was a good, or a bad thing. And by bad things, he feared ever having physical contact being made between him and Alex, even if it were mere accidents. After all, he's a man, and she's a woman.

It started with one usual day in the house, Alex having seated herself at the dinning table typing away in front of her typewriter. Jervis had just went out of the bathroom after answering to a call of nature and was about to return to his seat at the table where he had been adjusting the circuitry in his mind-control band, when Alex made to stand up.

Wherever she intended to go, she wasn't able to make a second step because of a trip where her leg got caught at one of the legs of the chair she had just sat on. Luckily for her, Jervis was already standing close enough at the table just in time to catch her before her face was able to hit the hard floor.

"Careful there," Jervis had said as he caught the brunette in his arms.

"Thanks," said Alex as she looked up to the Englishman.

They locked eyes.

It was the first time ever that they had found themselves looking at each other with their faces in such close proximity. They continued to be in such a suspended animation for a long moment, as though being hypnotized under each other's eyes, until they realized they were standing rather too close, they could both feel each other's warmth. How could they not when their bodies were pressed against one another?

They quickly stepped away from each other when this realization finally dawned upon them, finally having gathered up the will to look away.

But it didn't just end there.

They found themselves seated on the carpeted floor of the living room one usual afternoon, a day after, sitting right across each other at the glass table, a chess board between them. Jervis had won seven times in seven straight rows, yet Alex kept asking for a re-match.

"I believe that's enough for today," the scientist had said, as he made off to stand up. He was stopped by a hand on his left shoulder.

"What? No way! Sit down!" said the brunette. "You're not going anywhere, I haven't won yet."

"Against me?" chuckled Jervis. "Alex my dear, I doubt if that could ever be done."

"Please? This is the last, I promise." She held up her hand in effect.

He played along. "Alright, but this is the last game."

So then they played once again, for the eighth time, Jervis enjoying every bit of it, with Alex as determined as ever of trying to beat him. It was amusing for him in a good and funny way. No one's ever so determined before in trying to beat him in a game of chess, not even the Scarecrow.

Sixteen moves later from each of them, Jervis had sat up straighter, his blue eyes scanning the chessboard as though he was trying to reassure himself that what he was looking at was real.

"What is it?" asked Alex, a little worried. "You look like something's wrong."

"Actually, my dear, no. Nothing is wrong," replied Jervis, a smile slowly appeared on his face.

"Then what is it?"

"You can't tell?" Jervis indicated a hand to the board. "Look at your last move, don't you know what that is?"

Alex looked down on it. "Yeah, it's a check. You have to move your king to safety."

The Englishman shook his head. "Look closely, my dear. You cornered me. See here? _That _is a checkmate."

Dark eyes suddenly widening in realization, Alex said, "It is?" She looked again, then exclaimed louder. "It is!"

Jervis smiled to himself. Just seeing how happy Alex was at the moment made him happy inside as well.

"Hah! I just won against a mad genius!" she exclaimed again. Jervis was about to comment on that when suddenly, she half stood up and leaned closer towards him, planting a quick kiss on his left cheek.

They locked eyes for a long moment just as before, and found themselves in awkward silence for a second time.

Alex had sat down again on her side, looking away from the scientist across her, biting her lower lip.

"Sorry," she croaked, risking a fleeting and shy glance towards Jervis, who was also looking away from her. "I just, never felt so happy like that again for a long time coming."

_And I've never been kissed by a woman before...ever_, thought Jervis. _Except for my mother, of course. _But to indicate to Alex that it was fine, he could only give her a short nod.

They sat there in silence for the next few seconds before they finally decided to gather up the chessboard and put it back into the box with all thirty-two pieces.

* * *

Tobi yawned, stretching both his arms overhead and leaned back on his office chair lazily. He looked down on all the papers spread around his desk with a heavy frown. It was times like this that made him wish he was a wizard and just magically wave a magic wand on all the paperworks and make them disappear into oblivion.

It was a slow day, and the overtime that Mr. Fitzralph implemented wasn't going to help.

He pushed away from his desk while still seated on his office chair, then looked over to his co-worker on the neighboring cubicle.

He found himself frowning again.

"Alex? Whatcha reading?"

Not that he didn't really know, he just couldn't believe his eyes. The printed words on the hard cover of the book was clear enough for him to be able to read it; _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_. He knew that Alex wasn't quite a fan of Lewis Carroll, and most of the books she'd read were collection of poems, famous quotations, or simply Shakespeare. But _Alice in Wonderland_?

"Hmm?" The brunette had just looked up from where she had her eyes glued on the printed pages of the book.

"Whatcha reading there?" Tobi indicated the book in Alex's hand with a finger.

Alex looked down on the book, then back to Tobi. "A book."

Tobi's lips became a slim line on his face, his brows were forming in a half-hearted glare. "I know it's a book. But I was... Fine! Let me just say it straight out; Since when did you ever read Lewis Carroll?"

Once again having her gaze down on the book, Alex repeated the question to herself in her mind. _Indeed._ _Since when did I ever read Lewis Carroll?_

_Honestly? I don't know, _she wanted to say, but she didn't voiced it out as she looked back up to her co-worker. "Since I met this man," she replied, but was just half-aware of what she was saying. Her dark gaze was steadily holding Tobi's own green one.

"You mean the Englishman?"

It had been a week ago since Alex started telling Tobi about her 'subject' on whom she was basing her new story which she was currently working on. But Alex only left very few details about this 'mystery man'. Tobi didn't know the man's name, had no idea what the man looks like, and all that he knew was that the man was English.

Among other things, Alex gave him a few descriptions of this Englishman; nice to talk with, sweet and funny at times, a brilliant man - if that could count as description at all. Knowing Alex too well, he concluded that she may have even developed feelings for her so-called subject. But whether she was aware of it or not? He'd pretty much go for, definitely not.

The answer to his question was a short nod from the brunette.

"When am I going to meet this guy? As in, in person," he said to her.

Alex shrugged, once again looking down on her book. "Maybe someday, when the right time comes, maybe you'll meet him."

"When is that?"

No reply came. It took a moment of silence before Tobi tried another question.

"Can I at least know his name? So that I'd know what to call him except being 'the Englishman'? It starting to sound like a movie title."

Having heard everything what Tobi said, Alex's gaze left the last sentence she had just read and found herself gazing blankly at the lower right corner of the page.

A name... It made her think of Juliet's line from the balcony scene.

_'What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet..'_

Her thoughts then drifted back to the book she still had in her hands.

She looked back up to her co-worker, and blurted out, "His name's 'Lewis'."

_'So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title...'_

Quirking up a brow, Tobi regarded the brunette for a moment. "Lewis?" he repeated the name, as though trying to be certain he heard right.

The brunette nodded. "Or you can just call him 'Louie', if you like," she added.

_'Oh, Romeo doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee take all myself.'_

Looking the slightest bit convinced, Tobi shrugged and dropped the subject, once again returning to his desk. There was work still awaiting.

* * *

_...`I know what you're thinking about,' said Tweedledum; `but it isn't so, nohow.'_

_`Contrariwise,' continued Tweedledee, `if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic.'_

_`I was thinking,' Alice said politely, `which is the best way out of this wood: it's getting so dark. Would you tell me, please?'_

_But the fat little men only looked at each other and grinned._

_They looked so exactly like a couple of great schoolboys, that Alice..._

Through the Looking Glass, Chapter four, Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

Jervis couldn't count anymore how many times he had read both of his favorite books. He had memorized every single word of every single sentence on every single paragraph from every single chapter. Not to mention every single poem. He knew by heart who said what and from which book was what. And yet, although he knew exactly where the story was heading, he still wanted to read it.

People had told him more than once that it was quite of an obsession. Obsession, my left foot! For him it was passion. Besides, it was the only escape he had each time he'd find the real world unbearable anymore. He knew how people say that because of his _passion_, he was unable to differentiate fantasy from reality. But he ignored it, every single one of them, even what the doctors at Arkham kept telling him.

The Joker had once said that "madness is the emergency exit", and Jervis couldn't have agreed more. All those foolish people couldn't understand it, because they didn't know what he went through. And if they're lucky, they wouldn't have to.

Although, there seems to be at least one person who understood him about escaping the real world.

"Alex..."

He took his gaze off the printed pages of the book in his hand, his line of thought suddenly drifted towards the writer.

He remembered how she told him once of how she would drift into a daydream when she'd be upset back when she was very young. How she'd stop herself from crying in her room by making-up of a world of her own inside her mind. Her escape. Her 'emergency exit'.

Still, he could hear her voice saying, _"Maybe that's why I became a writer. Sometimes I'd write it down for my own amusement. I'd p__lay the characters. __At least in a world I made-up I could be anyone else. Someone who's not me in the real world."_

The first time he had set eyes on that brunette, he took her for just any other ordinary citizen living in Gotham, who describes people like him as freaks or nut-jobs. But no, he had learned these pass few days with her that to Alex, _they - _the rogues - were simply those people who had elevated themselves from society. They weren't part of the society, they were _above_ it, at least, according to her.

"_They couldn't do anything all of what you rogues could_," she had told him once. "_I understand how insane it is, but I've also seen how much of a work of art it had turned out too. The Joker's laughing gas, the Scarecrow's fear toxin, your mind-control device, insane but brilliant. All at the same time! People call you a freak, but they'd forgotten that you're also a genius_."

No one had ever talked about them like that, he had even wondered once if Alex may have lost her mind. Or perhaps, there could be a chance that she could be one of them. But he had easily pushed that thought off his head.

Putting down the book, having given up on the idea of reading it, he thought: _Stuff and nonsense! She could never be one of us. She's nothing like us. Nothing like me. A precious thing like her shouldn't be anywhere near someone like me._

'Precious thing'. Yes, she had become such a precious thing for the last couple of days. No one had ever been so kind and warm around him since Alice. But Alexania Erewaker was nothing like Alice Pleasence. No, nothing like Alice at all. Miss Erewaker was something... something more. Something he simply couldn't rightly put. But whatever that particular something was, it was a something that he dearly feared.

Just then, he heard the front door opened.

Standing up and turning his attention to the general direction, he saw Alex coming in. He quickly looked up to the wall clock.

"You're rather early, my dear," he said, as he started walking towards her. They were at least a foot away from each other before he stopped in front of her. She looked up to him with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, I know," she said. "Not my usual time of coming home, but it's just that I missed you."

Jervis was taken aback. "Missed me?"

"M-hmm," nodded Alex, as she stretched out her arms and moved in closer towards the scientist.

Before said scientist was able to take a step back, the brunette had closed in the remaining distance between them, as Jervis found slender arms around his neck and shoulders. It took just a few moments before Alex pulled back, still smiling as she once again looked up to the Englishman.

"What was that for?" asked Jervis.

"Nothing," answered Alex, shaking her head from side to side. "Just happy to come home seeing you."

Jervis made off to take another step back, looking away to anywhere, as long as he was not looking into her eyes.

"Er, yes, well..."

Well...

What? Is a thank you in order?

"Why?" Jervis asked before he could stop himself.

Not knowing the answer herself, Alex considered this for a moment. "Well, I really don't know why. It just feels so good coming home with someone waiting for you."

When Jervis met her eyes, he was out of words.

He just had to agree; what she said last was true.

* * *

**A/N:** The part about Joker once said "madness is the emergency exit", that's true. It was from _Batman: The Killing Joke _comics of_** 1998**_ by Alan Moore with art by Brian Bolland.


	7. Chapter 7

**- Chapter 7 -**

The dynamic duo watched as the Riddler was led into the van that which was suppose to bring said rogue back to Arkham. Robin was smiling to himself while Batman kept to his usual stoic expression. After the van left, Batman turned around with not a word to Robin, but eventually the Boy Wonder caught up.

"Last time it was Penguin," said Robin, following close behind the Dark Knight. "Then just last week, it was Freeze. And now Riddler? Tough nights we're having, huh?"

"There are still others out there, Robin," replied the Dark Knight. "There will be other tough nights. Perhaps even tougher."

"Can't you lighten up for one second?" snapped Robin, hopping in on the passenger's seat of the Batmobile. "But yeah, I get it. You're talking about Scarecrow and the Mad Hatter, right?"

As soon as Batman was all settled in his set, he started the engine and drove away.

"Scarecrow's been wrecking havoc for weeks now and he just keep slipping from our fingers, we have to stop him before his schemes get's bigger," said the Dark Knight, not even giving his sidekick a glance.

"Don't you mean, spreading fear?" countered the said sidekick, smirking to himself.

"Haven't you been wondering, Dick?" asked Batman, trying to change the subject; using real names was alright since they were quite alone. "Tetch hadn't been seen around the city since he escaped. The rumors has it that he may have left Gotham for good."

"Yeah, but we know that's not true. But if he's still around here in Gotham, question is: where?"

Batman's eyes narrowed behind his mask.

He didn't know the answer himself, but he knew he'd find out eventually.

"Question is why he hadn't tried doing anything yet," he said - it wasn't entirely a question - causing the Boy Wonder to consider this words.

* * *

The words were not clear even as she read it for more than three times, and each time she tried focusing on it more, she'd feel a strong sting of pain on the back of her head. So far, the only thing she could do was rub her temples with a hand, as her grip on her pen tightened.

"_...ascending, a vision of trees;__ Bright volumes of vapour through Lothbury glide,__ And a river flows on through the vale of Cheapside..._"

She had been reciting silently under her breath William Wordsworth's poem, The Reverie of Poor Susan. Reciting poems was what she would usually do from trying to distract her attention from the pain. It had served her well the past few years, but today, it was getting difficult.

"_...she so often has tripped with her pail; And a single small cottage, a nest like a dove's, The one only dwelling on earth that she loves..._"

Always the on who worries about Alex's well being, Tobi had popped his head out of the only thing dividing his cubicle from Alex's, and regarded the brunette with an utter worried expression written all over his face.

"Hey, you sure you okay?" he asked his co-worker.

She looked up but just for a second. "_And worse I may be yet: the worst is not; So long as we can say 'This is the worst'_."

Tobi quirked up a brow. "I'll be taking that as a 'yes'." The brunette made a short nod. "By the way, that's Shakespeare, right?"

This time as she looked up briefly once again, she smiled. "Yeah, that's right. I'm surprised."

"Hey, don't you underestimate me. I know Shakespeare when I hear it," countered Tobi, trying to hold back a smile of his own. He was relieved in seeing Alex smile for the first time in half an hour. "Besides, I've already read the tragedy of King Lear."

There was another approving nod from the brunette, but Tobi's smile that was threatening to show had slowly vanished completely, his worried expression once again resurfacing. "You can go home now. Take a rest."

"But it's still early," said Alex, trying to focus once more on her work. "I have to make up for those last couple of times I went home early."

"Go home, Alex," insisted Tobi. "You've been working late at night with your story and then you had to work here again in the morning. Take a rest, you deserve it. Fitzralph's gonna understand, you're one of his best writers here."

Go home. Looking up to the only wall clock in the office, Alex read: a quarter after six. She considered things more clearly, then leaned back on her office chair with a heavy sigh, finally admitting her tiredness. "You're right," she said, directing her words to Tobi. "Okay, I'll go home."

Yes, home. Jervis would be there waiting for her.

* * *

It was already ten in the evening, yet neither Alex nor Jervis couldn't sleep.

While Alex hadn't given up on working on her story, Jervis couldn't help but be worried about her. Just before they retired to their respective rooms, he had offered her to take some rest but, with a sweet smile to him, she politely replied that she wouldn't. But Jervis took it the other way; she simply _couldn't_. Even so, he didn't press further on the matter.

He had supposed that he understood the writer, because he'd went through the same thing with his work and researches. Still he could remember how he'd spent late hours at night especially when he started working with the mind-control band. Though he may never know what writers might be going through, but at least he had an idea what it feels like being dedicated to your work.

As he sat alone on the edge of his bed, dressed in his night clothes, he tried reading his favorite book, hoping that somehow by reading it may help to get him to sleep. But after two hours passed, he was still wide awake.

Meanwhile, inside her own room, Alex slammed her fist on her desk.

Nothing. NOTHING was processing smoothly in her mind. Everything was so crumpled, every single idea that would pop out were only in pieces and never whole. It was one of those times again. She needed to clear her mind, but as of the moment, what could possibly help her?

Thinking about it only made it more frustrating, as Alex found herself burying her head in her arms on the desk, groaning as she did so.

She needed a distraction. At least before she goes to sleep. But what?

That was when a thought flashed in her mind. She slowly sat up, shifting on her chair as she faced the door of her room, her thoughts were of the Englishman who was currently in her studio.

She shook her head to such a thought.

That would be a stupid thing to do. But... No. Surely he must be asleep by now? What time is it exactly? Then again, she could always just knock on his door, see if he was still awake or not.

Hesitating to even move from her seat, she urged her feet to walk out of the door when she finally stood up, only to find herself hesitating once again the moment she got face to face with the door of her studio.

She raised her fist to the door. Then pulled it back. Again she raised it, then finally, she knocked...

* * *

Jervis had set down the book on the small drawer near the bed just beside the lampshade and was just about to lie down when he heard the knock on the door.

"Hey, uh, Jervis? Are you still awake?" said a womanly, muffled voice from the other side of the door.

_Alex..._

"Um, yes, my dear," he replied, coming to sit up again on bed, sweeping his legs over the edge. "I'm still awake. What is it?"

"Can I come in?"

"Why, of course. Come right in, lass."

The knob turned as the door slowly opened, revealing Alex in a sleeve-less shirt and black short shorts.

Jervis reflexively swallowed as she approached him at the bed. It was the first time he had ever had a good view of her slender legs. But he tried not staring at it, diverting his gaze towards her face. She was smiling at him, one of her sweetest smile.

Finally, she sat down beside him on bed.

"You really do look good in pj's," she started to say, eyeing the Englishman's clothes.

"Please, Alex," replied the scientist, briefly looking down on his night clothes, then back to the brunette. "No teasing. Not tonight, if you will."

She chuckled to herself, a sound that which gave relief to Jervis, causing him to relax a little.

They fell into silence. Several heart-beats later, Alex reached for Jervis's hand.

"Listen," she looked up to him, "Jervis, I don't know how to put this into words, so I think I'd have to take it into action instead."

He looked back at her with confusion. "What is it?"

To Jervis's surprise, Alex leaned in closer, taking his mouth into a deep kiss. He froze in place almost immediately, eyes widened, not knowing how to react, yet he didn't do anything to protest. When she pulled back, slowly, they looked deeply into each other's eyes, as though asking one another what just happened.

When Alex made off to lean over again, this time Jervis pulled back.

"No, Alex, please," he said to her.

"But why?" she asked in return.

"Because..." He bit his lip, trying to look for a good reason to tell her. "B-Because... because this isn't right."

She carefully raised a hand, stopping to rest on his cheek. "But...I want you."

Jervis's mind was racing.

_What? Did I fell asleep? Is this a dream? This can't be real. It's not possible!_

She tried once more to lean closer up to him, and he didn't move, he just watched her, he was trying to figure out if what was happening at the moment was real. And yet, if it indeed _was _a dream, he wasn't certain whether he'd want to wake up.

Once again their lips met, as Jervis closed his eyes and surrendered but for a moment, and although he was all tensed at first he relaxed as she parted her lips for him; he got to taste her more properly as he returned the kiss. Damn, why does she had to taste so good? It wasn't long before he found his hands cupping her face, as it slowly lowered to her neck down to her shoulders, then rested on both her arms. With that, though he didn't want to, he slowly and carefully pushed her away.

They looked at each for a moment before he spoke.

"Alex, please, don't do this," he tried again, looking into her eyes imploringly, but he knew it was in vain. "I'm already mad, what you want to happen will only feed that madness."

She just looked at him, then nodded. "Alright, let's do it this way: if you really don't want to...then stop me again."

He didn't say a word to reply.

The next thing he realized, he was squeezing his eyes shut as she planted feathery kisses from his ear, to his cheek down to his neck. He felt her hands slowly unbuttoning his night shirt but he didn't move to protest, and once she placed a hand on his then bare chest, he opened his eyes to look at her. The first thing he saw was her dark pupils, looking straight back at him.

"Alex, not this way," he shook his head.

"You still have time to stop me," she replied, as she slid her hand down to his stomach.

It wasn't long before she had slipped her hand down his pants.

He gasped the moment he felt her warm touch, finding himself once again closing his eyes. Slowly, he could feel himself hardening down there under her touch, and all that he could do was clutch at the bed sheets. Again, he felt her wet lips on his neck, nibbling so sweetly.

No, he had to stop this. He had to resist it. If not... If not he... He will... He'd lose it... He'd lose... Lose... Control.

Suddenly, a voice from the past... His voice... His words...

_"It's always been my philosophy that people should take what they want in life."_

When Jervis snapped open his eyes, he yanked Alex to sit up a little straighter to make her look at him. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes that Alex found herself, for the first time, being afraid of the Englishman.

He lost it.

He pulled her close rather roughly, crushing her against him, taking her lips in a passionate kiss, devouring her. Everything went so fast from there. Within minutes, Alex found herself lying down on bed, having lost every bit of clothing she had. She could feel her heart pounding within her chest, as though it wanted to burst out from its place. Seeing the blond-haired man who towered atop her wasn't helping, having both hands on the bed on either of her sides as though wanting to be certain she wouldn't go anywhere. It was like she was his prisoner.

But what she was feeling at the moment wasn't fear, it was longing. Lust. Desire. It had been a long time since she felt this way again.

Suddenly, he slowly lowered his head, his eyes unseen behind those blond mass of hair.

"Is this what you want then?" she heard him whisper, she could feel his warm breath against her skin.

She nodded. "Y-Y-Yes," she breathed, stuttering.

"If so, when I possess you tonight, promise me one thing."

"W-What is it?"

He didn't speak for several heartbeats, until, she heard him again.

"Promise me...you'll be mine."

She closed her eyes. She felt so much emotion in those words.

"I...I promise," she said.

With that, she surrendered herself to him...

* * *

A quarter after three... In the early morning.

Blinking out into the distance, only to find that he was facing the window, Jervis found himself lying on his belly with his left arm dangling on the edge of his bed and his fingers were touching the floor. Slowly he rolled to his side, only to be surprised to find someone in bed with him. Apparently in deep slumber, she was facing him, one hand on the pillow near her cheek.

So it wasn't a dream after all.

He lay down there for a minute, just simply looking at her. He could remember the events that occurred about their...he didn't want to say it. Actually, he didn't know what to call it. Though he had to admit that it was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to him, he also had to admit that he lost a part of him in the middle of it. Or was it, at the start of it?

He stirred on bed, deciding to look over the wall clock in the room. It was still very early. Slowly, he got up and tried looking to wherever his night pants went. Later he found it a near three feet from the bed with no less than a few seconds. Just as he had already pulled up his pants, he felt Alex stirring on bed. When he turned to the bed, she had propped herself on one elbow and had one hand rubbing her eye.

"Morning already?" she asked him as she yawned.

"No," he smiled, coming to sit on the bed. "Still too early, I'm afraid."

"Then why are you out?" She reached out a hand to his arm. "Come back to bed."

Without fuss, he climbed back to bed on his side, pulling up the covers. When she scooted closer to him, he was alarmed but settled with their position after she had cozied up to his chest. To help himself be more comfortable, he cautiously wrap one arm around her waist. He allowed himself a smile when she didn't even flinched under his touch.

The entire situation was almost impossible, yet it was real. It was happening, right in front of his eyes.

"Jervis," he heard her murmured against his chest.

"Hmm? Yes, my dear?"

"About what you made me promise you."

He felt something twitched in his heart.

"Um, yes, what of it?" he asked, biting his lip as soon as the words escaped his mouth. He couldn't see her face, just her head.

"Do you, really expect that from me?"

She sounded sleepy, making it hard to understand whether she was aware of what she was saying or not. But with that tone in her voice, it was even harder to know whether if this was a serious discussion or...or what.

"I..." He swallowed. "Well, I...Yes. Yes, I suppose I do. After...After what happened between us, I have assumed..."

He trailed off.

Have assumed what? That she had feelings for him? That she would be his forever? That she wouldn't break his heart? That he wouldn't have to go through...through that same path again?

_Oh you foolish, foolish man!_ Jervis told himself bitterly in his thoughts. _What have you gotten yourself into this time?_

"Alex," he started again. "What...What am I to you?"

No immediate answer came, and she kept silent for the next couple of seconds, that Jervis had assumed she may have fallen asleep. But when he felt movement from under him, he expected she was about to answer, as he braced himself.

"I won't lie to you. As of the moment, I don't know what you are to me."

Her words had caused a small sting of pain in his chest, but she wasn't done yet.

"But I gave you my word, so I'll keep to it."

A subtle frown slowly appeared on Jervis's brows, not certain of what he heard.

"A promise is a promise," she yawned, as he felt her warm breath against his chest. "So yeah, I'll be your's, don't worry. That is, if you'll have me."

As Alex slowly drifted back to sleep, the last thing she knew she felt arms were being wrapped around her, pulling her close against something warm. She also heard a continuous beating sound.

_Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump._

It was the last she heard before she fell asleep again.

_Thump, thump. Thump, thump._

She never felt so much in peace before.

_Thump, thump..._


	8. Chapter 8

**- Chapter 8 -**

Three rats were pushing a teacup on the table towards Alex who was wearing Jervis's mind-control band. The rats paused right in the middle of the table, then moved to push the teacup once again. It made another pause along the way before the teacup finally settled right in front of Alex.

Looking up to the scientist standing right beside her, the look in her eyes was enough for him to know the question she had in mind.

"Give it more practice, my dear, and surely one day, whatever game you had in mind, smoothly will they play," Jervis said to her.

She smiled up to him. "Cute. Keep rhyming like that, you'll sound like Scarecrow."

He took the chair beside her. "Actually, dearest, Scarecrow quotes from nursery rhymes. I on the other hand just simply rhyme...well, sometimes."

"Or you could always just quote from Lewis Carroll," the brunette added.

"Quite so." He gave her a peck on the cheek. After which, they freed the rats and Jervis had put back the band under the felt of his top hat, replacing it on his head. Once again he found himself watching the brunette with all interest; the last time he ever stared at someone like that was back at Wayne Enterprises, and he was looking at Alice.

The view has changed, as with the woman had become a brunette and not a blond anymore, and having dark eyes not blue, but beautiful still. And yet, this brunette he was looking at was still quite a mystery to him. He doesn't know how her mind truly works; for heavens sake he's a neurotechnician not a professor of psychology! He dominates a mind, manipulate it, not try to study it.

He sighed heavily. These were one of those moments where he sometimes wished Jonathan Crane was there.

"Can I ask you something, my dear?" he asked, his expression serious.

"Sure, what is it?" She didn't even looked up to him from where she had her eyes on the newspaper.

He took a moment before he spoke. "What exactly, is the status of our relationship?"

Alex's hand froze mid-way as she was about to take a sip form her cup. When she looked up to him, she slowly put down the cup without taking her gaze off him. "We've discussed that already," she said.

"Yes, but each time I'd ask you never gave me a proper answer," he snapped.

"Then why do you keep on asking?" she said almost angrily, glaring down the newspaper as she took her gaze off the Englishman once again.

"Because we're together under one roof." Jervis kept his temper in check, not wanting to raise his voice on Alex. "We see each other everyday, and we've shared a single bed for three nights now. I don't even know if we're lovers. We never courted."

She shook her head, a subtle smile on her face, but she still looked irritated. "Don't be so old-fashioned."

Jervis gave out a half-hearted glare. "Don't keep changing the subject."

She snapped her head towards him as a dark pupils met blue ones, both were glaring as they held the staring contest for a long moment. Eventually it was Alex who broke away as she once again buried her face on the newspaper.

"What, my word ain't enough for you?" she said from under the black and white paper in her hands. "I said I'm yours to possess, so you can do away anything with me. Let me be your puppet or something, I'm a girl of my word."

Alex was only half-aware of the last few things she said, since her main reason was for Jervis to drop the subject himself just as she had done before. Eventually she heard nothing from him for the next couple of seconds, causing her to look up from the newspaper. What she saw was combination of a hurt and angered look on the Englishman.

She was still watching him when he slowly gazed up to her once more. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Just because I brainwashed the first woman I fell in love with, does not mean I am settled with the idea of making the second woman a puppet." And with that, the scientist pulled his chair from the table and stood. He walked on as Alex watched him still but just as he was about to leave the kitchen "slash" dining room, she stood up from her seat and called out to him.

"Wait! Jervis wait!" He stopped the moment he heard her voice, as he slowly turned his head towards her, shifting his body slightly along the process. "What do you mean by, 'second'?" At her question he simply sighed, rather sadly.

"Are women truly that blind, or is it me?" he asked in return, and although he wasn't exactly looking for an answer, she shook her head to him.

Once again, Jervis sighed. "Alex, listen, I say this because it is the truth and what I truly feel. And despite that fact, dearest, I don't expect you to be 'my Alice'. Because you are different in every sense of the word. And because the first and last Alice ended up...well, in a not so pretty ending. I never want to go back down that road again." There was a short pause and another sigh before he once again opened his mouth to speak. "To simply put, I...I love you."

That was pretty unexpected, at least for Alex it was, and the only thing she could do was stand there utterly speechless. This had only made Jervis seemed sadder than before. "I've noticed by the way," he said, "that you haven't been working on your story anymore. Are you done with it?"

The sudden change in subject had brought the brunette back to her senses. "Uh, yeah, about that. No. I'm not finish with it yet."

"The moment you do, please immediately bring it to my attention." Jervis had turned his back on Alex this time. "Perhaps the sooner I leave Gotham, the better, won't you say?"

Alex was about to comment on that as she took one step forward, but she let him go, as the Englishman disappeared into his room.

* * *

"Are you done with that?"

Pointing a spoon towards Alex's plate, Tobi sat there still munching on his lunch just across the brunette inside the office cafeteria. The question was just an excuse to break the ice because Alex hadn't said a word since they've seated at the table. Eating silently was not an unusual thing for Alex, but he expected they'd be doing the usual each time they would eat in the cafeteria; having an aimless conversation.

The brunette looked down on what's left of her lunch which she left untouched for the last five minutes but didn't say a word, as she put down her spoon and took up her plastic cup of orange juice, the still slightly cold liquid poured tiny hints of relief all over her body.

"You gonna talk about it or do you prefer that I keep guessing?"

Alex looked up, only to find Tobi looking straight back at her with those green pupils of his so much focused on her. And yet, she preferred to keep quiet still, only causing her co-worker to raise a brow rather questioningly.

"So I'll keep guessing then." Tobi leaned back on his chair with one hand under his chin as though being thoughtful for a moment. "Let's see now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this got something to do with that 'Lewis' guy of yours."

If it were any other people, they would have looked up to him with surprise written all over their face and widened eyes, but Tobi knew that the brunette who sat across him on the table was NOT any other people. Still, he got the reaction he was expecting; Alex's face went from blank into a hint of sadness, while her hand on the table balled into a fist.

"Why don't you tell me what's going on between the two of you?" Tobi had asked, his tone had dropped into a more worried way. He watched her as the brunette took a deep breath then sighed heavily, and braced himself when she opened her mouth.

"You mean how we spent the past few nights in each other's arms or when he told me he loves me?"

Tobi felt as though his jaw may drop but he somehow managed to keep himself in check, so the only reaction he was able to muster was a questioning look towards Alex with his lips slightly parted.

"O...kay, that was..." Raising a fist to his mouth, Tobi coughed into it and tried to retrieve his composure before he spoke again. "So he loves you, and how do you feel about him?"

The smile that had spread across Alex's face almost couldn't be deemed as..sane.

"I'm crazy for this guy, Tobi," she said to him, slowly meeting his gaze. "But to love him meant risking to step right into his world. And the consequences of that is just insane. Because his world is full of madness!"

Her chuckle wasn't even the usual, as it sent chills running down Tobi's spine, that he wondered how was he able to hold her gaze.

"You know about the saying, 'if you can't beat them, join them'?" she continued. "I've already tried that, but this one is another thing altogether."

Slowly, her insane smile dropped, as Tobi found himself relaxing once more when she buried her face in her hands.

"Yes, I love him too," he heard her muttered. "But that doesn't seem to be enough now, is it?"

Frowning, Tobi tried to process these words in his mind, trying to understand just what Alex meant. "These, consequences you're talking about," he started to say as he leaned over the table, "does this involve something crazy?"

The words escaped his mouth seconds before he was aware of what he was saying.

"It might as well have a range of as far as being psychotic if that's even possible, yes," the brunette replied, still not looking up from where she had her face buried in her hands.

"I see. And here I thought you're the kind of person who's not afraid of doing anything crazy."

"For my stories, yes. But this one is different!" the brunette snapped.

"Oh, so love is an exception?"

This statement - it wasn't entirely a question - had successfully caused Alex to look back up to Tobi, which was the very purpose of it.

"Listen," Tobi held up his hands, "I'm not telling you to do anything. Whatever you need to do, it has to be something you decided by yourself."

"Yes, but what am I suppose to do about it?" she asked him in return. Tobi only shrugged, truly not knowing the answer.

"Let's go back with what you just told me," he said to her. "You said you love him too but it isn't enough. Now, why is that?"

A somewhat look of realization dawned upon Alex's face. "That's it."

"What's it?"

"I just have to prove to him."

"Prove to him what?"

Alex quickly got up from her seat, excusing herself from her co-worker who was still obviously confused of what idea had she come up with. But he didn't have to wait for too long, as the brunette exited the cafeteria; because he'd find out eventually.

* * *

It had been hours ago since Alex left the house for work, almost the same amount of time since Jervis hadn't left his room. Not counting the time where he had left her at the table just this morning. And with that he hadn't even eaten lunch yet, and it had seemed that he had no intention in doing so at all. He just sat on bed, looking down on his feet.

"_'They told me you had been to her,_  
_And mentioned me to him...'_"

That was until, he ended up talking to the "Hatter" inside him and tried to figure out his relationship with the writer. So he started to recite _The White Rabbit's Verses_ while processing these thoughts in mind.

"_'She gave me a good character,_  
_But said I couldn't swim.'_"

She had become awfully nice to him; Alex. At first he thought he may have found a new friend, but she didn't stay just a friend for long. He should have known she'd be more than just a friend in a matter of time.

"_'He sent them word I had not gone_  
_(We know it to be true.)'_"_  
_

Too late as it would seem, since he had confessed his true feelings for her, the problem was, does she feel the same way for him? And if not, then what did those nights they shared ever meant to her?

"_'__If she should push the matter on  
What would become of you?'_"

She had given herself to him more than thrice, but what did it ever meant to her? Did it ever meant anything at all? What if it was nothing to her? But how, how could it be nothing to her when it was one of those most wonderful nights he had ever had?

"_'I gave her one, they gave him two,_  
_You gave us three or more...'_"

He had given his heart to a lady once, and all of Gotham knew what happened in the end. Now that he found a new love, would it ever go that way again? But no, Alex was never like Alice in a general sense. Surely Alex wouldn't break his heart just as Alice did?

"_'They all returned from him to you,_  
_Though they were mine before.'_"

He taught her how to play chess, let her use his mind-control over rats and watched her enjoyed herself like a child with a new toy. And as he saw how happy she was, he was happy too.

"_'If I or she should chance to be_  
_Involve in this affair...'_"

And yet, what of the deal they had about her story? Should he ever take the money, could he ever have the nerve to be away from her? He could always ask her to come with him. But, will she come?

"_'He trusts to you to set them free,_  
_Exactly as we were.'_"

And if ever she does not come along, would he still leave Gotham?

"_'My notion was that you had been_  
_(Before she had this fit)...'_"

What was it like before they met? The time he became one of the rogues, he had only ever played chess with Jonathan ever since and no one else, until Alex came, and he introduced the game to her. Before, since he became the criminally insane, having tea all by himself had become more often. But Alex had always had time to have tea with him without a fuss.

"_'An obstacle that came between_  
_Him and ourselves and it.'_"

But did that ever meant that she had somehow felt the same for him? What if not?

Jervis glared into the middle distance.

_I'll make her!_ he thought. _I've done it before, I'll do it again!_ Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his mind-controlling cards.

Yes, why not? He had done it to Alice, why should Alex be an exception? That was until, a voice from the back of his head suddenly spoke.

_"Besides, I trust you."_

It was Alex's words. She told him that once. This had only caused Jervis to look down on the card with a new view.

He looked away. "No," he said to himself, shaking his head from side to side. "I can't do it. Not again. Not to her. She's different."

Again he looked down on the card, then threw it away with a wordless, angry snarl. With that, he took his hat off and held it in his hands. After glaring at it, he also threw the hat to join the card somewhere in the room. He stood with his hands to his head.

"What if she just used me?" he asked himself, not knowing where the question came from. "What am I to her? No. I know the answer to that. I'm her subject."

He swung around and caught sight of the lamp on the drawer beside the bed and found himself swatting the lamp with it an angry hand, causing it to crash on the floor.

"She used me!" he shouted angrily. "I'll show her! No one uses the Mad Hatter as some _subject_." He spat the latter word with disgust. "NO ONE!"

He started to walk towards the other side of the room, away from the bed, still talking to himself.

"Who does she think she is? A low-life, pathetic, dunce of an excuse for a writer. For a woman even! She's-"

When he swung around again he caught sight of his reflection on the oval size mirror hanging on the wall, leaving his sentence unfinished in mid-air. He watched as his expressions slightly softened.

"But here is the answer," he said almost sadly, walking towards the mirror. "What could she possibly see in me? What is there to love?"

Still watching his reflection, Jervis once again found his deadly glare, as he raised a fist and punched it straight to the mirror.

The glass shattered with some pieces falling on the floor. He took off his fist slowly and looked down on his bleeding knuckles; there were small fragments of glass there too. Suddenly he had forgotten about his anger as his mind turned into blank. That was when he heard the door opened.

* * *

Alex had returned home from work and had made her way straight to the still closed door of her studio. But as she was about to knock, she heard a sound from inside as though something fell to the floor and was shattered. It was immediately followed by a muffled, and apparently angry voice, and she knew just who it was.

"_She used me! I'll show her! No one uses the Mad Hatter as some subject. NO ONE!_"

And she knew just who the 'she' that the owner of the voice was referring to, causing a twitched of pain in her chest as a she clasped a hand to her mouth. She listened more closely as she heard him paced inside the room, and with that she heard his every word. He called her a low-life, called her pathetic, a dunce! And yet she couldn't blame him, she knew deep within her that she couldn't blame him for saying such.

Until she heard him paused, leaving the next thing he was about to say, unspoken. Leaning in closer on the door, she heard him spoke again in a more calm tone of voice.

"_But here is the answer._" She heard him move in the room then stopped again before his voice came once more. "_What could she possibly see in me? What is there to love?_"

Only seconds later did she hear a shattering sound, as though a mirror had just been broken. After having mustered enough courage in her, she finally decided to open the door, and that was where she caught sight of him, standing a foot away from the then shattered mirror on the wall and his hand was bleeding. He must've punched the mirror with his own bare hand.

"Jervis!" she cried, then cautiously stepped inside the room, looking around to find the lamp on the floor also broken, and Jervis's top hat and mind-controlling card also on the floor near the end of the bed. The moment she got near him, she found that she didn't know what to do and ended up asking. "Jervis, what happened? And your hand."

The scientist looked down on said hand. "Oh, it's nothing," he said as though he wasn't ranting just moments ago. Somehow, it made Alex wanting to weep, but she was strong enough to hold it back.

"Let me have a look at that." Taking his hand in her's, she found small fragments of glass stuck on his knuckles. "Stay right here." She led him to the bed. "You just sit tight till I get back." The only answer she got from him before she left the room was a short nod.

A minute later, she returned to the room relieved that the Englishman hadn't left and was still seated on bed. She also returned with the medical kit along with her. As she sat down with him on the bed, she took out some piece of clothing from the kit and slowly, one by one, took off the small fragments of glass stuck on his knuckles.

She just had to admit to herself that she didn't know what exactly was she doing, but still she kept in mind that she was just trying to help. Once all the glass were off, she wrapped it on the same cloth she used and put it aside then started looking for some cotton from the kit. After pulling out a good enough amount of cotton, she dabbed it with some alcohol and slowly took his hand once more.

She was surprised inwardly by how he didn't even flinched away from under her touch, it was almost like taking care of a boy. With this in mind she forgot to warn him when she dabbed the alcohol-filled cotton on his wounds. As a reaction, Jervis jerked his hand off inches away from Alex.

"Sorry. I'm sorry," apologized the brunette. "That was stupid of me. Let me try it again, I'll do it slowly and carefully this time, okay?"

And now it was as if she was _talking_ to a boy.

The Englishman nodded and trusted her once again with his hand. Once in a while she'd blew into the hand to ease off the pain as the alcohol do its purpose. After she was finished, they sat there in awkward silence for a few moments. It was Jervis who broke in with a question.

"Why, do you act as though you care for me?"

Alex didn't even hide her surprise when he looked up to him. "Because I _do_ care, Jervis," she tried to tell him, but he didn't reply.

"Yes, I know," she said sadly. "You don't believe me, do you?"

He looked up to her to meet her gaze but still he kept quiet.

"Listen," cupping his face in her hands, Alex drew in closer, "listen to me and let me finish, okay? I know I've hurt you somehow, but I'm going to fix that. You see, I love you too. And I'm going to prove that love starting tomorrow."

Something was glittering in Jervis's blue eyes when he spoke. "You...love me?" She nodded.

"Yes, darling, I do," she confirmed with a smile. "And do you know how I'm going to prove that to you?"

Jervis shook his head.

"I'm going to be like you. I'm going to do something crazy just to be with you."

Jervis still looked confused and he was about to say something when Alex stopped those words from ever escaping his mouth when she placed a finger to his lips. "Ssssshh," she hushed. "That's right, Hatter, I'm going down the rabbit hole for you."

Still, the Englishman looked up to the writer with a frown on his brows, and the only answer that she gave was a question.

"Do you have room for a henchwoman who doesn't have to be under a mind-control to follow your orders and pull a few heists with?"

At this, Jervis was taken aback. "B-But Alex, you don't know what you're saying."

"Oh, but I do!" she reassured him with a big smile, pulling him close as she took his lips in a deep kiss.

When she pulled back, she planted more kisses from his cheeks down to his neck.

A henchwoman. One who's willing and don't need to be mind-warped. Imagine that! Jervis allowed himself a smile.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" he said when their eyes met again.

"Hmm, no, no. I don't like that game," she replied, pulling him close till she laid on her back on the bed with him atop her. "You know that I'm not good with riddles, Hatter. Let's play a different game."

Jervis planted a soft kiss on Alex's neck, eliciting a moan from her.

"It was the best butter after all," he murmured into her neck, just before they started undressing each other.


	9. Chapter 9

**- Chapter 9 -**

When Jervis woke up in the middle of the night, he found Alex was almost at the edge of the bed on her side. Though still a little sleepy from the sudden awakening, he carefully pulled the brunette to the safe side of the bed, and found himself adoring her face.

After their love making they had decided to cook dinner and ate together happily discussing almost anything they could think of, then they watched the evening news before going to bed. This time, they used Alex's room. With a few goodnight kisses, they fell asleep in each other's arms. It was enough for him, all of what was happening. Everything seemed so wonderful as though not even Batman could take it away from him. He only wondered for how long would it last.

But, pushing aside such thoughts, he settled with what was present at the moment. He, Alex, together. That was what it all mattered for now.

As he looked down lovingly on his fair lady, he remembered that he didn't finished reciting _The White Rabbits Verses_. Alex came in after he punched the mirror and he had completely forgotten about the poem. He thought that he might as well finish it, and recite it to the brunette though she might be asleep.

Besides, it had seemed as though rather fitting for the moment. Well, at least for him it was.

"_'Don't let him know she liked them best,_  
_For this must ever be...__'_"

Just as he was about to say the last two lines, Alex slightly stirred then spoke in her sleep like how the Dormouse would, and finished the poem for him as though she heard him.

"_'A secret, kept from all the rest,  
Between yourself and me.'_"

For a moment he was too surprised by the unexpected little thing that happened, but after a blink or two he found his smile and pulled her sleeping form close.

"Oh, my dear Alex," he murmured against her hair, "you are indeed wonderful."

* * *

"You sure about this?"

"Absolutely. No doubt about it."

When George Rowlett first met Mr. and Mrs. Erewaker, the couple was only two years married, and he became the couples lawyer ever since. But he wasn't just any lawyer, he was also a closer family friend, he also became Alexania Erewaker's godfather. He was there when the couple went through such difficult times when their darling daughter was kidnapped and when returned to them, the poor girl went through psychiatric therapies. The good thing was that the little girl was a fighter, but she was different altogether ever since.

Though he couldn't rightly put his finger on it, the girl had become different in many ways than one. But whether her parents noticed or just ignored this, George never got to find out. And by the time Mr. and Mrs. Erewarker died, Alex became _more_ different, at least for him she had.

Now, years had aged him, and Alex had become a woman. As he sat right across the brunette, he just couldn't believe what she wanted to be done. And yet, when he kept asking why, she wouldn't give him a proper answer.

George brought a hand to his forehead.

"So let me get this straight for one last time," he said, partly to himself and partly to the brunette. "You're going to spend your _entire_ inheritance by giving it away to whatever charity _I_ would think best for it to be given to. _And_, you've already put aside some of the money to give it away to a few chosen friends. Is that right?"

The brunette nodded, same as before. And it had been for the last fifteen minutes that had passed since they had seated at the table of the coffee shop they were in.

"Alright, fine," said the lawyer leaning back on his chair. "I'm not going to ask you why anymore 'cause clearly you're not gonna tell me anything, anyway. Besides, it's your money, and I'm just _the_ lawyer."

He took up the glass of water and drank from it. The water was ice cold, sending slight stinging pain on his sensitive teeth.

"But what's going to be there left for you?" he asked.

"I'm selling the house," answered Alex rather quickly. "Then the money I get from that would at least be helpful enough."

"Are you going somewhere? Alex, whatever this is, you know I'm gonna have to find out eventually."

Alex reached for the hand of her godfather from across the circle-shaped table, her dark eyes softened.

"Uncle George, listen to me, I know you're worried about me and that you care," she said to him. "But since I'm a big girl now, well, big girls had to make crazy decisions sometimes. And yes, you'll find out eventually, but perhaps we can talk about it more when it happens."

George held up a finger. "See? That's another thing, right there, just what you're saying. I don't like the sound of it."

"That's because it's something not pretty," explained Alex, retracting her hand. "Yes, there is a reason why I'm doing this, but I can't just tell you about it because you'll try and stop me."

"Since when did anything ever stopped you from doing what you want?" snapped the lawyer, watching the brunette stood up from her seat and picked up her handbag.

Alex could only offer a sad smile. "Good bye, Uncle George, and I'm sorry." Without another word, she turned and left.

And so there was George Rowlett, sitting alone at a table in a coffee shop, looking down on a few green bills that the brunette left on the table as payment to the coffee they had.

* * *

"You're what?"

Tobi could only watch in utter shock and disbelief as his boss, Mr. Fitzralph, kept asking Alex why she was quitting her job. Said brunette was already clearing her cubicle and gathering up her boxes at the moment too.

"Yep, you heard me," said Alex, dumping a few of her things into a box.

"But why?" asked her boss almost incredulously. "Is it the salary? Is it stress? Is it me, even?"

Alex almost wanted to laugh out loud with this questioning, but she held it back rather expertly. Yes, she had been an expert on that ever since those therapies she went through.

"You've come to a decision, haven't you?" asked Tobi out of nowhere.

While Fitzralph could only raise a questioning brow, not knowing what the green-eyed man was talking about, Alex on the other hand knew what her co-worker meant. Sometimes she could easily underestimate just how much Tobi knows her well.

She turned around to face her boss and her co-worker, holding the box of her things with both hands and close to her body.

"Yes, Tobi, I have. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be going."

Right after the brunette disappeared, Fitzralph consulted Tobi.

"What decision?" he asked his employee.

"A head-over-hills kind of decision," replied Tobi and looked back on the Alex's then empty cubicle. "And since this is Alex we're talking about, I can only say that it's complicated."

* * *

Andrews gave the small brown envelop which contained the money to Alex with a smile.

"Here you go, Miss Alex. Paid in cash, just like I promised."

"Thank you, Roger," replied Alex with a sweet smile, taking the envelop from the older man.

"I gotta say, you got a good house here." Andrews turned around to once again gaze on the house he was referring to. "But you gotta tell me, how'd you know my son was just newly married and was looking for a house?"

Alex shrugged. "You know me." Andrews nodded before bringing his gaze back to the brunette.

"Are you moving to another country or something?" he asked. "I heard from Tobi you just quit your job."

"No, I'll still be staying here in Gotham," said Alex as she shook her head. "Just that I needed to do a few things to prove something to a person."

Andrews found himself nodding once more, as he mouthed an 'ah', looking at the brunette as though he just realized something.

"So who's the guy?"

Judging by the look on Alex's face, it would appear that she wasn't expecting such a question from the older man. Andrews chuckled to this.

"I can tell," explained Andrews. "Just with how you said it while having that certain look on your face moments ago."

Looking away, Alex suddenly felt uncomfortable by looking at Andrews.

"Was it ever that obvious?" she asked, more to herself than to her companion.

"Experience tells me so, Miss," Andrews answered back. "And another thing, you're one heck of a person when in love."

The brunette didn't comment on that, instead she looked back to her house she just sold and remembered a particular conversation with a particular Englishman two days before...

...

_"But-But, you're entire inheritance?"_

_The brunette turned around to face her lover and reached a hand to his cheek._

_"Yes, Hatta, think about it," she said to him. He got use to her calling him 'Hatta' by now and it didn't much bothered him. "If I had a fortune, what use would there be in committing crime with you?"_

_The Englishman shook his head more to himself._

_"You...You'd do that for...for me?"_

_"Why not?"_

_They were silent for a moment as they stared at each other._

_Several heartbeats later, Jervis pulled Alex close as their lips met in a brief and deep kiss. As they slowly pulled back from one another, where their faces were mere inches from each other, the scientist whispered softly against her lips._

_"We'll see just how far you're willing to do anything for me."_

...

Slowly, a small smile appeared on Alex's face.

"He's not quite like most men, Roger, of _that_ I can assure you," she simply stated, earning a quirked up brow from the elderly man.

* * *

On the other side of Gotham...

An abandoned hat store was a bit typical for a hiding place, but so was hiding in an abandoned tea shop, and arguing about it with a childish psychopath can be very tiresome and useless. Not to mention meaningless, but Alex settled with the entire idea without a grudge for the sake of love. Besides, if there was one thing they could at least agree on without a second's thought, it just had to do something with hats.

After Alex had finally put on display on an empty and old bookshelf the last remaining hat from her collection, she took a step back and gaze at her work, though it was more like she was adoring her lovely hats. Sighing with content, she decided to went down stairs where she expected to see her lover, and yet she wasn't expecting him to be at the table busy doing something again with his little inventions.

She walked over to him, keeping her gaze on the black Alice band on the table where he had been doing something with those tools, sparking with small yellow lights once in a while. Whatever it was that he was doing, she knew she could never completely understand it in a way that he does. She was never any good in science back in her school days, even until now. And yet, as she sat on the table, making sure he was aware of her presence so as not to startle him, she couldn't help but ask about his work.

"Are you making another mind-control band?" she asked, expecting that the answer to it was simply 'yes'.

"No, dearest, this is different."

Well, it was then expected that she was a bit surprised with his answer.

"Okay, it does seem to look different, but what is it then?" she asked once more.

A smile played across Jervis's face. "This is what you'll need if you want to be my henchwoman. Also, so you could keep up."

She nodded, then smiled a wicked smile. "So you _were_ planning to brainwash me after all."

He look up to meet her gaze but only for a brief moment. When he once again put his attention back on his work, he was slightly scowling, clearly displeased at something. Or perhaps displeased of what she had said.

"Of all people," he said, "you should have known by now that I would not do that to you."

"Oh, come on." Alex leaned over to her lover, her expressions show that she wanted to apologize. "Please stop doing that when I'm teasing."

"Perhaps you should refrain from teasing then," he snapped at her.

Not giving up, Alex tipped Jervis head to her with two fingers under his chin as she looked down on him with a smile. She kissed him on the lips lightly, only brushing her lips against his, then pulled back. It was enough to melt away whatever small amount of anger that Jervis was feeling.

The Englishman sighed. "Alright, you had me. Let's try it again, shall we?" The brunette only nodded.

"Now," Jervis cleared his throat. "Ask again."

"What are you making?" said Alex.

"I'll show you, my dear!" The scientist picked up the horseshoe-shaped headband in one hand and held it up as though trying to show it to the brunette. "_This_ is unlike anything I've ever made before."

"What is it?"

"A non-mind controlling device."

Both Alex's eyebrows shut up high. "You can do that?"

"Why, of course!" confirmed Jervis. "_'It's my own invention.'_ I can easily undo what it supposed to do and yet keep a few."

Alex got curiouser about the little device as she pushed herself off the table, planting her feet on the floor and stood. "Well then, what _does_ it do?"

"I have mentioned to you before that my devices increases the strength and speed of anyone whom I put it on, haven't I?" he asked, as he got a nod from the brunette. "This one would still do so, the difference is that the wearer will not lose conscious control to a source-host. He, or in your case, she, will have full control of himself and have the liberty of enjoying the new strength and speed he has."

Once again, Alex nodded, keeping her gaze on the headband. "So let me get this straight; except for not being brainwashed, as long as I have that worn, I'll be stronger and faster than my usual, is that right?" The Englishman nodded to her. "Have I ever mentioned how much of a mad genius you are indeed?"

"Yes, but you may remain and say it more."

This simply earned Jervis a loving peck on the cheek.

"I love you," said Alex.

"And I love you," Jervis replied.

* * *

Tea. Jonathan Crane couldn't remember the last time he had tea. Although he could remember quite well whom he was with that time. Well, who else but the Mad Hatter? And just at the moment, he was at it again; having tea with the Hatter in an abandoned hat store. How was he able to find out that the Hatter was hiding there? For two reasons: 1) He knew Tetch too well; and 2) He had his ways.

Also, there was no need to worry much about anyone ever finding them there. It had been two months since Jervis hadn't shown himself in public that more people had believed it so that the rumors about the Mad Hatter not being in Gotham anymore was true. Chances are, the Batman might have already checked a few abandoned hat stores and yet smart enough to give up the search when there was no strong and solid lead as to the location of the Mad Hatter. But that doesn't mean the Bats believed the rumors.

His mask and hat sat untouched beside him on the table, as he eyed the Englishman sitting across him. And what did he saw? Still the same blond-haired man with the exception of the hat, including how the man's lime-green shirt was buttoned only on the middle part, so it was partly opened and partly closed.

Just then, the brunette came at the table.

"So, how are you two enjoying your tea?" she asked as she reached Jervis's side.

"Good," replied Jonathan. "I must say, Miss Erewaker, you make good tea."

"Thank you."

Jonathan inclined his head subtly and made off to sip some tea from his cup, but before he was about to have a sip, he gave Jervis a quick meaningful glance with his eyes. It was a code of some sort between the two of them, that's why Jervis knew immediately what it meant.

"My dear," the Englishman looked up to the brunette, "do wait for me upstairs, I know how tired you are. Jonathan and I have the need to discuss something in private. I hope you don't mind."

Alex didn't say a word and just nodded. After giving Jervis a light kiss on the cheek, she left the men alone and went upstairs.

Jonathan watched as the Englishman drank some tea. "You seem to be happy with your situation at the moment," he started.

"Alex may not be an 'Alice'," replied Jervis, keeping his blue gaze on his cup, "but yes, I'm happy with her."

Jonathan placed his arms across his chest. "So, do you have any intentions of telling me what you've done to her?"

With such a question, he found two blue orbs staring back at him in a deadly glare, almost in an insane way. _Almost_.

"I have done _nothing_ to her," growled Jervis.

Somehow even Jonathan found it rather hard to believe, but judging by how the brunette was acting in all normality, he might as well believe it. He was one of the many people who knew just how Jervis's technology works. Besides, he saw that the brunette didn't have not a single mind-control card near her head and was not even wearing any head accessory. The only reason he asked was that he wanted to see how Jervis would react.

"I see," the professor said, keeping his steady gaze on his fellow rogue. "But if you're to convince other people, you'd have to do better than that."

Jervis took off his gaze from the professor and back to his cup, his expressions slightly softened but his brows still showed hints of a scowl.

"I know" were the only words that escaped from the Hatter's lips.

Still keeping his steady gaze on the Hatter, Jonathan slowly placed his elbows on the table and put his hands together in front of him. "So the two of you just fell in love, and here you are having finally found someone who doesn't need to be mind-warped in accepting you for who and what you are. Congratulations is in order?"

When Jervis once again looked up to meet Jonathan's gaze, the Englishman made a rather annoyed look.

"You are forgetting that you're talking to me," said the scientist. "At least try to be cruelly honest. Coming from you, I'll accept it."

"Oh, you want me to be honest?" replied Jonathan; it wasn't entirely a question. "How's this? Although I can see that the two of you are quite happy with this arrangement, I know that you two are well aware that the consequences will come after the both of you. If you're expecting a happy ending, I'm not sorry to tell that eventually you'll end up disappointed in the end. Don't tell me I didn't warn you."

Making an uninterested look, Jervis sat back on his chair. "I've learned the hard way that in this life, 'happy endings' doesn't quite happen most of the time. But that does not keep me from trying to make one."

The professor simply scoffed at this. "You're completely blinded by your fantasies and romance."

In return, the Englishman only quirked up a brow. "You're fixated on the tragic reality far too much."

The two men stared at each other for the next couple of heartbeats that passed. Eventually, Jonathan spoke again to break the silence, but still not breaking away from the stare.

"Perhaps this is the reason why many people kept asking how in the world the two of us get along, _at all_."

"Get along?" Jervis picked up his cup. "I thought we were just trying to tolerate one another."

It was Jonathan's turn to quirk up a brow, as he too picked up his own cup. "I suppose that's acceptable."

After both of them had took a sip of tea and once again settled their respective cups down on the table, Jonathan made off to stand, gathering his mask and hat along the process.

"The night's been long, and I take that your fair lady is waiting upstairs for you to join her," the professor said. "Have a good evening and a good night to you, Jervis. Tell Miss Erewaker the same after my departure. I'll see to myself outside."

As Jonathan made his way to leave the shop, he heard Jervis called out.

"Oh, and Jonathan, do care to keep an eye on the news."

Jonathan darted his eyes behind him but didn't turn around to even cast a look on Jervis. And so, as the Scarecrow left, Jervis finished his tea with a grin plastered on his face. He was thinking of how the events of tomorrow night might unfold.


	10. Chapter 10

**- Chapter 10**** -**

Another usual night in Gotham City, and with the Bat-signal having been turned on by Commissioner Gordon to call on the attention of a certain Caped Crusader. Eventually, the Dark Knight showed up, alone, landing on the rooftop as expertly as he always had.

"Where's your partner?" asked Gordon as he approached the vigilante.

"He's around," replied Batman. "What do we have for tonight?"

"Nothing that big, just a robbery at a tech shop with a few stolen micro-circuitry devices, and eventually we found the infamous ten-six card," Gordon said, as he watched the vigilante narrowed those eyes behind the mask. "Yup, it's him alright, and it's about time."

"I assume there's something more?" stated the Dark Knight. Gordon inclined his head so as for a 'yes'.

"All three guards who were there for the night-shift said that the Mad Hatter didn't come alone," continued the commissioner. "They were knocked out cold when we found them. When they woke up, they said Tetch was with a woman and that it was the woman who beat them up."

"A new henchwoman, of course," said Batman almost instantly. "His devices increases the strength and speed of his puppets."

"True," agreed Gordon, "and anyone who knew about the Mad Hatter could easily say that the poor lady is brainwashed."

Batman's eyes narrowed once again behind his mask. "Are you saying that she wasn't?"

"I'm not saying anything," Gordon shook his head. "But I suggest you take a look on this and tell me what you think." He then held out one hand towards the vigilante, having a small black tape in his grasp.

"It's from the security camera, of course," said Gordon. "Just give me a call if you found anything."

With that, the Dark Knight inclined his head to the commissioner but Gordon had something else to give, as the old policeman held out a hand to the vigilante so as to say "wait".

"Oh and, we got another piece of evidence here that might help."

The commissioner motioned to one of the two officers there with him who then gave him a see-through plastic bag with a bloody handkerchief inside. After examining it in the dim light of the night, Gordon handed it to the still waiting vigilante.

"It's not of the guards, just to let you know," said Gordon as Batman nodded again and turned to shoot out a cable with his grapple gun, swung over to another building and disappeared. Officer Montoya, who was watching and listening in silence, suddenly asked her superior.

"You think he'll make the same assumption as yours, Commissioner?"

Gordon didn't even looked back when he replied. "He probably will. And knowing him, he may as well try to find out whether if it's true or not."

"Still, this is Tetch we're talking about," insisted Montoya. "What made you think the woman with him might not be mind-warped?"

This time, the commissioner turned around to face the female officer.

"Weren't you even listening to the tape at all?" he asked, but shook his head. "But yeah, I understand what you mean. But like I said, Batman can handle it, and by the time he get's to Tetch, only then can we find out why in hell was that woman being with one of Gotham's rogues."

_An hour and a half earlier... at the mentioned tech shop...  
_

Alex had successfully warded off the two guards there for the night-shift while Jervis was looking for a few circuitry's he could use since he had already ran out of supplies back at their "hideout".

It was her first crime with Jervis, and she had come along in her own costume; she was wearing a red strapless bathing suit with gray tights and black peter pan boots, white gloves in her hands and a black bow-tie around her bare neck, and a black headband with two long, bunny-like ears sticking out. She was also wearing a mask like that of Harley Quinn's.

From now on, she would be called, the "March Hare".

As the March Hare stood there smiling down on the out-cold guards with one hand on her hips, she wasn't aware that a third guard was closing in on her from behind, in which she was then caught by surprise by said guard.

Her face was met with a raging fist from the guard when she turned around, but this did not knocked her out, nor was it able to knock her down to her knees. When she looked back up to the guard, the Mad Hatter had already tucked one of his mind-control cards on one of the guard's ears.

"Didn't your mother ever told you that it is not right to hit a lady?" the Hatter said.

"Hey, I could have handled him, you know," she said.

"My devices had only increased your speed to an extent," snapped Jervis, "but not in a meta-human way."

"Yes, you've told me that already."

The Hatter then gave her handkerchief as she took it and wiped her nose.

"Now you see? You have a bloody nose!" stated the Hatter.

"For your information, this isn't the first time I had one," she defended. "Back at the elementary, I got into a fight when I was seven. Never happened again...until now, that is."

Tossing the then bloody handkerchief somewhere on the floor and taking off the card from the guard's ear, Alex punched him right in the face almost immediately a soon as the card was off. She kicked the guard hard on the groin and hit him with a chair that was lying on the floor. Eventually, she had succeeded in putting the guard to sleep just like the other two.

"I can see that you're enjoying this." The Hatter frowned as he crossed his arms on his chest.

"Enjoying? I'm LOVING it!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, and whilst you're at it, you're getting yourself hurt causing me to worry about you."

Clearly by the sound of Jervis's voice he was obviously displeased, not to mention being concern of his "March Hare" getting hurt.

"The reason why I prefer having my henchmen as mindless puppets is because they execute every command I make them do in a clean way and much to my liking," Jervis said, slightly glaring at the Hare. "Furthermore, I don't have to watch their backs. But alas, you're not just a henchwoman to me, and you know that. If this is how it would always be in the future, I don't think I'd want you going with me on heists."

Alex turned to the Hatter once more, making a sad face.

"But Hatta. _'It was the best butter,'_" she told him; it was a form of apologizing.

The Hatter's expressions seemed to have softened, as he sighed and took a step closer to the Hare, placing a gloved hand to her cheek.

"Oh, dearest, I could never stay angry with you for long."

The two embraced each other for a moment before they finally decided to walk away from the scene.

"Now come, come, March Hare. Our work is done."

Needless to say that both of them were quite aware about the security camera.

* * *

Mrs. Elaine Chester sat on the sofa, watching an evening talk show on TV while her husband, Lucas Chester, was busy on his lesson plan at the dinning table. The children were all asleep already.

For more than she could count, she had always wondered just exactly how her husband ever got the job as a high-school teacher despite his previous occupation of a private investigator. Lucas did told her once or twice that he had a few friends that helped, but never told her about the details on the entire arrangement.

But since their lives hadn't been affected in some way because of it, she had ignored and pushed away from her mind such wondering a million times over. She trusts her husband knows what he was doing, though it could not be helped that she feared for him about his "other" job.

"Honey, can you make me some hot coco?" said Mr. Chester all of a sudden. "I think I could really use one right now."

Elaine smiled, got up from where she was seated at the sofa and went into the kitchen to make her husband some hot coco, she also decided to start a conversation as she shuffled through the cupboards.

"Sweetie, I've just remembered one of your clients. Miss...Erewaker, wasn't it?"

She made to look over the dinning table, having caught her husband nod with a silent "Mm" for a response. His attention was on his lesson plan once again. Elaine only smiled and shook her head, getting out a cup and pouring some hot water into it.

"You know, of all your clients, I've always took her as the strange one."

"Don't you mean the _strangest_ among them?" said Lucas, letting out a short sound right in between a form of scoff and a laugh, but the smile that appeared on his face quite put it as a kind of short laugh.

"Oh, you know what I mean." Mrs. Chester was already on the move towards her husband as she placed the cup of hot coco on the table. "Like how she gave us a million dollars in cash just two days ago. Who knew that she was that rich?"

"I do," replied the husband simply. The wife on the other hand raised a brow.

"You knew all along and you didn't tell me? _Me? _You're wife!" she said in a slight yet obvious angry tone.

Lucas only looked up to his wife and said, "A client's background is their personal property, I hope an apology is in order though."

Sighing, Elaine just shook her head and took the seat beside her husband. "So if she's rich, how come she never used her money?" she then asked. "She could have started a business, she doesn't have to be employed that way."

Nodding as he took a sip from his coco, Lucas took a moment before answering his wife.

"Let me start with her parents," he cleared his throat. "The couple was one of the middle-class people; not that rich, not that poor. Her father started a small restaurant business here in Gotham using the money the couple had from their parents and a few from their own. By the time Miss Alex was born, the restaurant was a success."

"She was born here in Gotham?" asked Elaine, interrupting her husband. "I thought she was from the Metropolis."

Lucas raised a finger. "About that; see something happened when Miss Alex turned thirteen. She was kidnapped by an envious colleague of her mother's, who was a psychiatrist. Well, Miss Alex wasn't held for ransom but was tortured psychologically and drugged."

Elaine suddenly raised a hand to her mouth.

"Poor thing, only at thirteen," Lucas shook his head. "She went through therapy of course, for two years. But during that time, her parents had already decided to move to Metropolis to heal wounds and forget, so to speak. There, her father built a new restaurant and just as the same, it was even more successful than the first."

Half-way through what Lucas was saying, Elaine had been nodding her head. "I knew she was strange," she said almost to herself.

"She was declared cured," continued Lucas, "but there was a change in her behavior. Still, she led a normal life even until her parents died."

"And so she inherited all her parents money since she's an only child," concluded Elaine, unknown to her that that was not all.

"Not to mention her aunt's money as well," added Lucas.

Elaine's brows formed into a frown. "She had an aunt?"

Lucas only inclined his head like so. "A rich aunt, at that, from her mother's side. Never married, and doesn't have a single child."

"Then she's filthy rich!" exclaimed Elaine. "And yet she lived a simple life, when she could have had all the luxury she could ever want."

"That's the thing about her," said Lucas, appearing to be thoughtful, with one elbow on the table and a hand to his chin. "What I found out about their restaurant in the Metropolis was that she left it to her father's assistant, whom her father trusted. When she moved to Gotham she used some of her inheritance from her parents. She opened an account, got a job to make her own money, bought a house, started a life and all that."

"And the money she had paid you for your service in three years?" asked Elaine, once again interrupting.

"Came from her aunt's money."

The couple then fell silent for a moment, but it took several heartbeats later before Lucas decided to speak once again.

"Oh by the way," he said, "just this morning, I found out she quit her job and sold her house."

Elaine tilted her head to one side. "Are you saying she had left Gotham?"

Shaking his head, Lucas continued to stare out into the middle distance. "I heard she'd still be staying in Gotham," he replied. "And I just remembered, when she gave us the money, she said 'thank you and goodbye'. There's something not right about it."

Her expressions softened, looking intently into her husband's face, as Elaine placed a hand on his that was on the table.

"Is that what's been troubling you?" she asked. "You think something's going to happen?"

Lucas didn't say a word and just drank from his cup of coco.

It was a silent 'yes'.

* * *

Alfred Pennyworth found his way to the Batcave, expecting to see his master who was still dressed as the Dark Knight bu with the mask pulled off revealing hair as black as the night.

"One of those nights, sir?" said the ever loyal butler coming to a stand still near where Bruce was sitting in front of the computer.

"Blood sample from the crime scene, Alfred," replied Bruce, having fixated his eyes on the picture of a brunette on screen. "The Mad Hatter got himself a new henchwoman."

"I see," murmured Alfred almost to himself, reading the brunette's name on the computer screen. "We have a certain Alexania Erewaker. Another brainwashed victim, such a pity, poor thing."

"Could be," Bruce said almost immediately after his butler had finished. This had caused said butler to look down on him.

"Are you saying that she isn't, sir?" asked the butler.

"I've re-watched the tape from the security system Commissioner Gordon gave me," replied Bruce. "I've listened to it very carefully at my best, base on the video, Tetch doesn't have his usual 'control' on this new puppet of his."

"Ah, an assumption." Alfred made to look back on the computer. "If I may so, sir, your assumption will stay as nothing but an assumption unless proven true. And for that, you have a need to get to the Mad Hatter."

"I plan to catch him," growled Bruce, as he pulled out a communication device from a pouch on his utility belt. "Robin," he said to the device, "are you free at the moment?"

There were sounds from the other line of the device that tells anyone who'd hear it that Robin was in the middle of a fight.

- _"Just give me two more minutes and I'll be done here."_ -

That was Robin's voice.

"There's someone I'd like to see tonight and I might need you there," said Bruce, finally pulling his mask on again. "You interested of coming?"

- _"Yeah, sure." _-

The sounds of struggling could still be heard from the young man's end.

"Stay at your location. I'll be coming for you."

- _"But how will you find me?"_ -

Batman stood from his seat, ready to leave. "There's a tracker in your utility belt."

- _"Oh yeah, forgot about that."_ -

"Wait for me. Be sure you're done with whatever you're doing when I get there."

- _"You got it, boss."_ -

As Batman put away the device and started to walk towards the Batmobile, he heard Alfred murmured, "Hmm... Rather interesting."

"What is?" the Dark Knight asked. He knew better than to just ignore Alfred's observations. It helps a lot sometimes.

"This young lady is a writer who has written four books in total, all of which having the same storyline." Alfred looked up to his master's masked face. "I say, her fictions could really catch a person's attention, sir."

"Yes, I know," replied Batman. "All the main characters in each book goes insane near end of the story. But what of it?"

"Each story are interesting and different as to the main characters' descent into insanity," explained Alfred, his expressions rather neutral. "And as I recall, sir, there is a certain Jervis Tetch who has a very interesting story himself concerning as to the cause of _his_ insanity."

Batman's masked eyes widened slightly as he turned his head back to the computer where the brunette's picture was still on the screen.

"Just a thought, if I may so, sir," said Alfred, as he watched his master took leave, walking towards the Batmobile.

"I'll check on that" was the last thing Batman said before hopping into the vehicle and drove out of the cave.

* * *

In an encounter with the Dark Knight once you're a criminally insane, there could only be two things that could happen: if you're lucky at the moment, you can escape the Bat's clutches or; if it was one of those nights, you'll be going back to Arkham. As of the moment, it would seem to Scarecrow that the latter part may be the one to happen to him.

While Robin tried to free a poor civilian from a strange machine that said civilian was put to by the Scarecrow, Batman was sure of himself that the mentioned rogue couldn't escape him. Still, thought quite aware of this, Scarecrow had to try and run, in vain though it may seem, as he was slammed to the wall by the Caped Crusader.

"Go on, get outta here!" ordered Robin to the civilian after he had freed the man and decided he should do something and destroy the machine.

Trying to once again get up on his feet, Scarecrow found the Dark Knight standing within five feet from him like a dark shadow towering over him with pointed ears and scowling eyes.

"That machine you have back there," said Batman, referring to the machine the rogue was using on the poor civilian moments ago. "Looks familiar to me. Went to see a certain Hatter lately, Scarecrow?"

The Scarecrow smirked.

"_**Polly put the kettle on/ We will all have tea**_," the rogue said and made off to try and make a run for it once again. But he was stopped by Robin's cable-rope that was thrown over to him and tied up his ankles together.

Meanwhile the young man smiled smugly to himself when the rogue looked up to him.

"_Sukey take it off again/ They've all gone home_," said Robin only causing the rogue to be annoyed, and felt insulted at the same time.

Batman walked over to Scarecrow and picked up the rogue by the shirt with one hand. "Since when did you become interested about the subconscious state of the mind?" the Dark Knight asked.

"You're right to think I got the machine from the Mad Hatter," replied Scarecrow. "But you're wrong if you think it does the same thing it had done to you once before."

"I thought you might say that," said the Caped Crusader.

"After personally asking Tetch," continued the Scarecrow, "that machine has the same effects as that of my fear toxin. The difference? The victim would still be haunted in his dreams."

All of a sudden, there came a sound in the background, as though something was breaking down. When Scarecrow darted his eyes towards where the sound was coming from, he found the Boy Wonder had just successfully ruined the machine. Although a little disappointed of having lost such an interesting way of inflicting fear into people, Scarecrow knew in him that eventually the machine wouldn't last. Well, at least he could always have his toxins.

Just then, Batman threw Scarecrow to another corner causing the rogue to lose his hat. When Batman picked up the rogue again, he removed the mask to reveal red mass of hair and yet a still familiar face.

"No more games, Crane," growled Batman, pulling Jonathan Crane close enough with their faces inches away from one another. "You know what I want. Where. Is. The Mad Hatter?"

"Where else should a hatter be?" replied Crane with a smirk.

"Give me answers."

Meanwhile, Robin watched at one corner of the place they were in with arms crossed on his chest, a subtle smile on his face.

"You just gotta love watching him work sometimes," he said to himself.

Two hours later, Batman and Robin came to Arkham Asylum dragging the Scarecrow along.

"I'll be coming back for him tomorrow," said Batman to Dr. Leland. "He's my only lead as of now to where the Mad Hatter might be hiding. He's been there, but I still need to get it out of him. I hope Dr. Bartholomew wouldn't mind."

"Of course, Batman," replied Dr. Leland. "We'll be expecting you tomorrow then, and I'll make sure to get the professor ready."

Both Batman and Robin bade their goodbye's to the good lady doctor.

Meanwhile, as soon as the two orderlies who escorted Jonathan Crane to his cell left the confinements of Block C, Harley Quinn, who's cell was just right across from Jonathan's, welcomed the professor with a smile.

"Hey, professor Crane! Welcome back!"

"Hello, child," replied Jonathan giving Harley a brief glance from across the huge glass wall of his cell. "Good to see you." Though he did not return the blonde's smile, Harley didn't seem to care about this.

"So you and Jervis seen each other already out there?" asked Harley. "I bet you two did. And I'm bettin' too that the B-man wants ta know where Hat is at, and he's gonna squeeze it out of ya when he get's back."

"And he will be successful too," said Edward Nygma, the Riddler, having overheard Harley from across his cell. "Am I right, Jonnie-boy?" he smirked.

Although Jonathan couldn't see Nygma, he glared out of his cell, as though it may reach Nygma.

"Of course he'll succeed," sneered Jonathan to the inmate he couldn't see. "But not that I'll give in easily."

"Yeah, right," said Joker from across his own cell, also having overheard the conversation. "You'll probably taunt him, give him clues and hints with all your nursery rhymes. Tch! You're just like _Enigma_ over there, can't shut his mouth for one damn minute and giving away clues to the Bats of what he's up to!"

"I am nothing like Nygma!" retorted Jonathan, sitting up on his cot abruptly as though the Joker was there with him in his cell.

"Much better than _announcing_ what I'm up to," said Nygma, obviously referring to how Joker usually does his (Joker) thing...sometimes.

"Well if I wouldn't announce it, he wouldn't know it's me. And if he wouldn't know it's _moi_, where will be the fun in that?" said Joker, and accompanied it with his signature laugh.

While Nygma settled down in his cell murmuring under his breath inaudible words, finally deciding to bring the matter down with the Clown Prince of Crime being involved already, Harley asked the professor once again.

"So you've seen ol' Jervis?"

"Yes, I have," replied Jonathan, settling once more on his cot and leaning his back on the pillow having pulled over to the wall, returning his gaze to the wall in front of him. "And the last time I saw him, he was with someone. I can assure you that he isn't alone even at this moment."

The Joker had stopped laughing at that time, while Jonathan's word caught Nygma's attention once again, though the Riddler hadn't said a word on it and settled with the decision of staying quiet and just listen.

"He's got new henchmen under mind-control?" said Harley. Since it wasn't much of a question, she was certain of herself that what she said was exactly what the professor meant, but she was wrong.

"No, child, a woman," said Jonathan. "And under a mind-control, she is not."

The blonde tilted her head to one side. "Whatcha sayin', professor?"

"What I mean, Miss Quinzel, is that Jervis may have found a new love."

Well, needless to say that this statement had caught the attention of most of the inmates. Though none of them said a word, except for Harley, who had came to stand near the glass wall of her cell, placing her hands on it and looking intently on Jonathan from across the other cell.

"REALLY? You've seen her? What she's like? Is she blond? Is she like that Alice girl? Come on, tell me more!" she exclaimed.

"Surprisingly enough, she's a brunette," said Jonathan, not taking his gaze off his wall. "And no, I don't think she's anything like that Alice girl, but Jervis is in love. Not to mention happy. Don't worry, child, you'll get to know her. I don't doubt that she'll be here in Arkham soon."

* * *

**A/N:** Here I wrote Riddler saying to Joker, "Much better than _announcing_ what I'm up to." I got it from an interview with Mark Hamill saying that (I quote) "Most people would just go out and commit crimes, he [Joker] likes to announce he's going to do something and challenge you to stop him." Also, when I wrote Joker explaining that he'd want Batman to know it was him who did whatever it was that happened, I got it from Batman: The Red Hood. Um, R&R, if you like.

~ **sankage**


	11. Chapter 11

**- Chapter 11 -**

_Alex found herself walking down the sidewalk, when she decided to step into the street, and that was when she found herself falling into the darkness of an open manhole which she didn't see._

_She seem to have been expecting where she would end up once her fall stopped. And she was right after all. There she was then, sitting on a cot and dressed in gray matching clothes having a number code of some sort on the upper left corner of the shirt._

_When she turned her head to her left, she was also expecting to see the huge glass wall including the blond haired man outside from across where she was. He had his back turned to her and that he was also inside a room that looks like the room she was in._

_Slowly getting up from the cot, she walked over to the glass wall, pressing both her hands to it and made off to call out to the man._

_"Excuse me!"_

_The man didn't even stirred from how he was seated on his own cot._

_"Hey! You there! Excuse me!" she called again. "I just wanna ask you something. Please?"_

_The man finally turned around to her, only to reveal a very familiar face._

Jervis?_ she thought to herself._

_"Yes?" said the man...or Jervis. "You wanted to ask something?"_

_She continued to look at him, not saying a word._

_"Um, you _were_ calling out to _me_, were you not?" asked Jervis  
_

_"Huh? Oh! Uh, yes! Yes, I was," she said, finally snapping herself back to her senses. "Sorry, it's just... Never mind. I just wanted to ask where I am."_

_Jervis appeared to be confused but for just a moment._

_"Why, you're in Arkham, child," he declared._

_"Arkham?" she repeated. "Arkham Asylum?"  
_

All of a sudden, Alex snapped opened her eyes, finding the black ceiling welcoming her line of vision.

She looked around. There was Jervis lying next to her. There she remembered everything. It was just a dream, and she was in bed, in their hideout. It was just a dream... Wait. No. Not just any dream. It was that dream again. But she never had that dream again since she met Jervis...until now. It came back. But why now?

After considering this for a moment, realization dawned upon her. Suddenly, everything made sense to her.

Before she met Jervis, the dream ends on the part where she'd call out to the man in her dream and then she'd wake up. But this time, the dream was finished. She was able to see the face of the man in her dream, only to find out that it was Jervis all along, and she got to find out where she was. The dream was trying to tell her that she'd be going to Arkham with Jervis.

Slowly looking back to her lover, still lying by her side and asleep, she whispered as though he could hear her, "It was you all along."

She scooted towards him to get closer, resting her head on his right shoulder, causing him to be awakened.

Jervis stirred to find Alex snuggling under his right arm.

"Mm, darling? Is something wrong?" he asked in a sleepy tone, rubbing one eye with the back of his hand.

"Hm? No," she replied. "Everything is just perfect."

Pulling her close to him and wrapping one arm around her body, Jervis murmured against his lover's brunette hair, "Mm, if you say so."

They both went back to sleep almost instantly.

* * *

- _"...In other news, with the Mad Hatter's reappearance last night after two months of 'no-show', just this morning, Gotham P.D. informed the media about the Hatter's apparent brain-washed accomplice."_ -

Jonathan Crane looked up to the television from where he had his nose pinned on the latest book he was reading which he found from the old bookshelf inside the common room of Arkham Asylum.

Usually, at times like this, when he is allowed to spend time in the common room, he'd be playing chess. Unfortunately, ever since Jervis came to Arkham he found the Englishman was the only one fit enough and at least _decent_ enough to play chess with. So each time he'd be dragged back to the accursed asylum with said Englishman not being around, there was no sense playing chess with anyone else since it wouldn't be the same. Though the idea of winning was tempting, he'd rather lose a game against Jervis.

- _"Commissioner James Gordon confirmed having watched the security video himself and stated that Tetch was indeed with a woman also in costume. After having found out who this poor woman was, Gotham P.D. immediately sent for the media and released a copy of the video."_ -

The said video from the security system then appeared on the screen, revealing the Mad Hatter seemingly talking to a woman with long bunny-like ears apparently sticking out of her Alice band. Whatever it was that Jervis was saying, no words can be heard because the video seemed to be in mute. The video was only shown shortly as the screen once again cut back to the anchorwoman.

- _"Police said that the Mad Hatter's new victim is Alexania Erewaker, a columnist in a magazine company here in Gotham who, according to her co-workers and boss, had quit her job before the events of last night occurred." _-

"Alexania what?" said Harley, who was sitting on the couch a foot away from where Jonathan was sitting on his side of the couch. "She sure got a funny name."

Jonathan ignored the blonde and kept his attention on the TV screen. The screen cut to a footage of a man being followed by the media with cameras flashing here and there.

- _"Mister Fitzralph! Mister Ftizralph! A word please!"_ -

- _"No comment!"_ -

The man waved a hand to the camera as though it meant to say "go away".

- _"How much do you know about Miss Erewaker?"_ -

- _"She's a fine writer. The best I have. _Had_, anyway. Now please go, I'm going to be late."_ -

- _"Had she ever acted in a strange way while still employed? At least a few days before she quit her job?"_ -

- _"No. I don't know."_ -

The man being called Fitzralph ducked into a black car and drove away. During the process of Fitzralph getting into the car and getting it into gear, the anchorwoman's voice could be heard from the background.

- _"Miss Erewaker doesn't have anyone close enough to call family anymore except for Attorney George Rowlett who has been a close family friend to Erewaker's parents."_ -

Another footage of a man being surrounded by the media, only this time the man was much older, appeared on the screen.

- _"Attorney! You've been a friend of the family, is that true?"_ -

- _"Mister and Missus Erewaker were long time friends, yes, and I have sworn on their grave I'll look after Alex. Unfortunately the girl wanted to be independent and she was at least old enough to do it during that time. But that aside, I care about Alex as much as her parents would and could have. For now all I want is for her to be safely returned and taken away from that psychopath. That is all."_ -

The attorney then walked off as the screen once again cut back to the anchorwoman.

- _"Until then, Gotham P.D. promised to do their best in retrieving Miss Erewaker back, safe and sound, and away from the Mad Hatter's control. Or at least until the Batman himself get's to it first. As for now, based from the security video, the Mad Hatter has dubbed Miss Erewaker__ as the 'March Hare'."_ -

Just then, the screen went black, as the TV was turned off by one of the guards.

"Hey! We were still watchin' that!" exclaimed Harley as she shot the guard a subtle glare.

"Group therapy's about to begin so go get your chairs and to your places," said the guard and walked off, back to his post at the door.

"I thought ya said she wasn't under mind-control," said Harley immediately after the guard left, turning her head to Jonathan.

The professor folded a page on the book he had, planning to get back on reading it for later as he stood up and replied, "Child, mostly anyone in this city who knows of the Mad Hatter would quickly make an assumption that any henchman or henchwoman of his is under mind-control."

Harley put a finger to her mouth, appearing thoughtful for a moment. Then she looked back up to the professor and said, "Yeah well, I get that. But how could ya be sure she isn't?"

Looking away from Harley, the professor's gaze fell upon the then empty table with a chessboard on top in the middle of it.

"It's rather simple, really. See I've spent so much time with that man sometimes even discussing his precious devices that _I_ of all people would know whether or not he has someone under mind-control."

As Jonathan left to get a chair and join the other inmates who were also part of the group therapy forming a semi-circle at a corner of the room, Harley eyed him for a moment with a silly smile on her face. It took several heartbeats more before she finally decided to get two chairs and joined the others, taking her place right next to her best pal, Poison Ivy. The other chair she took, was of course, for her dearest _puddin'_ who would be with them a little while later.

* * *

He looked down on those written words on the white pieces of paper only to realize that it was some sort of draft of Alex's story. He found it inside a box which he never thought was full of Alex's books, but what Jervis was wondering about it was that, after shuffling through the papers, the story wasn't finished.

When he had already seated himself at the table, still having the drafts in hand, Alex appeared.

"What you got there?" she asked as she approached.

Jervis looked up. "You haven't finished it," he said to her. "Like what the King said,_ 'Begin at the beginning, and go on till you come to the end: then stop.'_ You haven't reached the end yet."

At first, the brunette appeared a little confused, bringing her gaze down on the heap of papers in her lover's hands. Her expressions softened a bit upon realization of what it was.

"Oh," she said. "So you found it."

Taking one paper in hand, she took the chair beside Jervis and sat on it. "Actually, I've no more intentions of finishing it since the time when I realized something's changed between you and me."

Jervis kept quiet, finding himself staring intently into the brunette's face.

"Because I knew that when I finish it, you'd have to go," continued Alex. "And I didn't want for you to go."

She was still keeping her gaze down on the piece of paper she had in her hand when she felt a gloved hand touched her cheek. She looked up only to find Jervis smiling at her, his blue eyes were glistening with something despite the fact that it was shaded by the brim of his top hat.

"What if I had finished it," she said to him, her eyes roaming around his face, "would you have left?"

"Question is, my dear," he replied, "could you have come away with me?"

Although he was smiling, Alex knew the Jervis was serious but the only answer she could give was, "To be honest, I don't really know," as she shook her head and looked away from him shyly, a shy smile played across her face. But he made her look back to him again, her chin softly pinched between his index finger and thumb.

"You want me to be honest with you as well?" he asked her softly. "Let me tell you then that I'm happy everything had led to this."

There was something from the way he said that to her, that made her smile so warmly, as she cupped his face in her hands.

"You're wonderful, Hatta," she said. "Just promise me you'll always choose to have tea with the March Hare than Alice, okay?"

It was almost as if a child had said her latter words, but that was not what surprised Jervis. It was the fact that he heard_ her _said it.

"Have I ever told you, my dear Alex," he said slowly, "that if this were ever but a dream..." He paused to plant a quick kiss to her lips. "...I'd rather choose to stay asleep."

She didn't say anything else to reply but just pulled him close and took his lips in a passionate kiss.

* * *

7:27 p.m. Arkham Asylum. Therapy room.

Batman and Jonathan Crane continued to stare at each other, with the Caped Crusader's expression being neutral while the professor just kept glaring, both lanky arms crossed on his chest. As they sat across each other, the only thing between them was the table.

"Thank you for the cooperation, Professor Crane," said Batman.

Jonathan's reply to that was a scoff as the professor looked away, staring particularly at nothing.

"But there's something else I'd want to know from you," Batman spoke again, but still the professor didn't look to him. "What do you know about the woman Tetch is with?"

The professor's eyes darted back to the Dark Knight, and slowly a smirk crept across his face.

"For that, I wouldn't give you too much trouble," Jonathan said, as slowly shifted on his chair to face Batman, placed both his elbows on the table and put his hands together in front of him. "Let me begin with, yes, I've seen her already in person."

Batman's masked eyes narrowed. "Tell me more."

"Before that, whether or not she's under mind-control I'll leave to you to find out," said the professor, keeping a steady gaze on the Dark Knight.

"Don't worry. I'll find out the truth about that," replied Batman.

"Oh, and I'm quite certain you will," agreed Jonathan. "Now, a few days after Tetch's escape, I ran into him at the Stacked Deck. He told me of a lady writer who came to him one night in his first hiding place at the docks." At this, Jonathan smirked to himself. "Although I couldn't fathom just how she found him there before you did."

The Dark Knight simply ignored this. "Go on," he said.

"He told me she offered him money," continued the professor, "in return that he would tell her his story so that she could write a fiction based on it. After they have come to terms, he said she left him her address. If you ask me, the woman is a natural nut."

Batman was slightly surprised by this. "So Tetch knew just where to find her since before?"

"The second and last time I've seen him," said Jonathan, ignoring Batman's question, "before you dragged me back here in this hell-hole, was in his current hideout. That was the time I first set eyes on her, Alexania Erewaker. Or the 'March Hare' as she is now called."

"Are you telling me that they've been seeing each other for two-months and just after that did Tetch decided to make his appearance and tag along Erewaker with him?" stated Batman, concluding in his own understanding what just the professor told him.

"Except for what I have just told you," replied Jonathan, "there is nothing else I know about the woman. Or what exactly happened during those two-months. I'm not that much in-contact with the Hatter, you know."

There was a moment of silence before Batman finally stood up to leave.

"Shall I accompany you or would you rather see yourself out?" asked Jonathan, a smirk once again appearing on his face. But the Dark Knight didn't say a word and went out of the room.

Seconds later, two orderlies came in and escorted the professor back to his cell.

_Give it a few hours, then later tonight, perhaps we'll be having a new inmate in Block C_, thought Jonathan.

* * *

"Where to tonight, Hatta?" asked Alex, getting dressed in her 'March Hare' costume from behind the screen. "Are we going to steal some more circuitry's? Perhaps get ourselves a new pot? Our old one is rather too old already. The tea doesn't taste the same anymore. I think it's the pot."

"Hm? Uh no, dear," replied Jervis from the other side of the screen, gathering some of his 10/6 cards. "But about the pot, perhaps we could."

"So we're not going to steal anything?" Alex asked again, finally getting one of her peter pan boots on.

"No, dear, we won't be," came Hatter's reply.

"We're not going out for a heist?" Finally having her bunny-ears, Alice band on, Alex stepped out of the screen to see Jervis putting his top hat firmly on his head while looking at himself at the mirror.

"No, dear, no heists tonight," he said, adjusting his bow-tie.

"Then why, pray tell, are we going out?"

This time, Jervis turned to look at her.

He sighed. "Dearest, I want us to go out together for the very reason of simply...well, _being_ together," he said.

She looked up to him as she tilted her head to one side. "You mean we're going out on a date?"

"Um, well, yes, I suppose you could say that," answered Jervis, having a finger to his mouth. "Come to think of it, when was ever the time we went out for, err...a date, as you called it."

Alex moved in closer to Jervis and planted a big kiss on his lips, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and neck, surprising the Hatter.

"Why didn't you say so, silly?" she said to him when she pulled back. "Let's go!"

Later, the two found themselves at Storybook Land. Alex couldn't say she wasn't expecting it, but not that she wasn't happy with it anyway.

They sneaked around behind groups of people, barely being able to be noticed, as they arrived just in time for the place to close.

"You really are good in sneaking around, aren't you?" commented Alex in a whisper.

Jervis shrugged. "Three years of being in and out of Arkham has to account for something, what?"

After slipping a card into the unfortunate guard's ear, they were let in without any fuss, as Jervis escorted his March Hare towards, well, the Alice in Wonderland themed attraction in the place.

They strolled around the place, sometimes chasing each other, but mostly talking about so many things. What couldn't be helped was sharing a few things about pasts, including the ones that wasn't that so long ago.

"Didn't you brought Alice here?" said Alex. "I remember you told me about it." Jervis's answer was a nod and a silent "Mm".

Alex blinked, noticing something has changed in her lover's expressions.

"But you said you don't wanna remember much of what happened then," she said, keeping her gaze on the Hatter.

"True," replied Jervis, still keeping his gaze away from his March Hare.

"So why bring me here?"

Jervis halted in his tracks, turning around to see Alex looking at him expectantly, her dark eyes glistening questioningly and with worry.

He shrugged. "In truth, because I didn't know where else to take you."

Stepping in closer towards the Hatter, Alex asked, "You just wanted to be here, don't you?"

He looked at her for a moment before he nodded as for an answer.

Not saying another word, she just smiled to him and took his hand in hers.

Again they continued to stroll, not really going anywhere in particular. They were silent then, until a thought came to Jervis.

"My dear, can I ask you something on a particular matter?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah, sure. What is it?"

Jervis hesitated, trying to think of a proper way to begin with it.

"Um, first, when was the last time we engaged into...you know." He moved his free hand in a circling motion as though to indicate to Alex what he meant to say, as he looked at her.

"Oh, that?" said the brunette. "About two nights ago, I guess. Why did you ask?"

"How long have we been...um." Jervis bit his lower lip. He was still not comfortable in saying it. But in actuality he just didn't know what call it. Saying the 's' word would be too vulgar, and although he could use other sort of words that meant the same, again, he wasn't comfortable with it.

"Well, you know. Doing it?" he decided to say.

"Doing what?" Alex looked up to him with a playful smile. "Making love?"

_Making love_. Jervis smiled at those two words. Perhaps he_ could_ use that one.

"Yes," he nodded. "Making love, if that's what you want to call it."

"I think I already know where this is heading," declared Alex, coming to a halt in her tracks, causing Jervis to stop as well. "Are you trying to ask me if I'm pregnant?"

"Well are you?" Jervis ask in return.

"You don't want to?" countered the brunette.

"No, not that," explained the Hatter. "It's because...well, a child would complicate things. I'm not just an ordinary criminal, my dear, I'm the criminally insane! A Gotham rogue. In and out of a mental institute. And if you _were_ ever in such a state, then your he-"

"I can't be pregnant, darling."

Alex's words cut Jervis off mid-way through his sentence.

"Oh?" was his only reaction. "How so?" he asked.

"You remember when I told you about what happened when I was thirteen?" said Alex, taking her hand off Jervis's own gloved one, as he let her go without fuss. She took a few steps away from him before turning around to face him again.

"Yes, I remember," he replied. "What of it?"

"I wasn't just psychologically tortured," she said, "I was drugged too. And it cost me. The doctors said because of those drugs I won't be able to bear children. So relax, because I can't be pregnant." She ended her sentence with a sweet smile.

Jervis found himself nodding, having remembered a particular red-haired woman.

"Just like Miss Isley," he said almost to himself.

"Isley?" repeated Alex. "You mean Poison Ivy?"

"Yes, dear. She can't bear children as well," said Jervis as he led Alex away. "But that would be a story for another time. Now, what says you about going home?"

"Already?"

"Suddenly I had this urge of wanting to take you somewhere more, shall we say, private?"

The Mad Hatter gave the March Hare a devious smile, as though she'd be able to read his mind by it. She understood immediately and only went along with him, saying along the way, "You are such a naughty boy, you know that?"

* * *

The door to the abandoned hat shop opened, as Jervis quickly closed it again and locked it. Both he and Alex were laughing as they entered, until Jervis caught sight of the table sensing that something was off with it.

Suddenly, he looked around the shop as though something or someone might jump out all of a sudden.

"Hatta? What is it?" asked Alex, her voice sounded worried.

"Something is wrong," said Jervis.

All of a sudden, a dark figure with pointed ears stepped out from the shadows. Jervis quickly stepped in front of Alex, as though trying to get in between the figure and the brunette.

"Evening. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

It was none other than the Batman himself.


	12. Chapter 12

**- Chapter 12 -**

"_'It wasn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited'_," said the Hatter, glaring at the Dark Knight's direction. "But here you are. Either way, my apologies if we kept you waiting."

"Actually, we just got here a few seconds before you came," another voice said.

Out of a corner, Robin came out.

Alex glared towards the Boy Wonder. "Which one should I take?" she whispered from behind Jervis.

"I won't be letting Batman anywhere near you," replied the Englishman, whispering as well. "You can take the lad."

"You know how this will end, Hatter," Batman said all of a sudden. "Come along peacefully and give us back Miss Erewaker."

"Who says I'll be going with you guys?" Alex stepped away from Jervis.

"I think she's gonna fight us," said Robin to his partner.

"Just don't hurt her," said Batman in return.

All of a sudden, Jervis pulled out a pistol form inside his coat and gave one shot towards Batman, but the Caped Crusader was able to dodge the shot. Meanwhile, Alex confronted the Boy Wonder while Jervis ran upstairs.

"Okay, I promised I won't hurt you," said Robin, getting into his fighting stance. "So let's make this easy."

"Aww, too bad," said the March Hare. "Because I won't think twice in hurting you."

The two started engaging into hand-to-hand combat, and although Robin had more experience in fighting, he seemed to be having trouble since the March Hare was wearing the Alice band the Mad Hatter made for her. But fortunately, Robin knew what to do since from the start. He wasn't trying to hit the brunette at all, but was trying to get the headband off.

A few more tries later and he was successful, taking a step back and destroying the headband with his own bare hands.

"Take it easy now, miss." He approached the brunette, thinking that she was no longer under the Mad Hatter's control and that she wouldn't attack him anymore. That was his mistake.

Alex turned around and gave Robin a clean straight punch, causing the Boy Wonder to take a few steps back.

"Okay," said Robin, a hand to his chin. "That still hurts, but not as strong as your other punches moments ago." Suddenly, something dawned upon him. "Hey wait a minute. You're still attacking me!"

"That's right bird boy, and here's another."

The brunette made to spin around and kicked Robin on the stomach.

She continued to move in acrobatic-like movements, rocking back and forth and sweeping around and kicking Robin. Her movement somehow looked like as if it were a dance.

"Hey, I know that move," said Robin, having ducked from an attack. "Is that capoeira?"

"I've tried learning it for dance purposes," admitted Alex. "But I never thought I'd be able to use it in a real fight."

She rocked again, doing her moves as Robin continued doing his best avoiding the attacks and not hurting the brunette.

Suddenly, the wooden ceiling above fell, along with it was Batman and the Mad Hatter.

Looking up, as he was lying down on his stomach, the last thing Jervis saw before he lost consciousness was Alex fighting with Robin.

"Alex..." he murmured.

When the Mad Hatter was finally knocked out cold, Batman reached for the Hatter's hat and pulled out the mind-control band inside it. He destroyed the band with his own bare hands and looked up to his partner's direction. His eyes slightly widened, when he saw the March Hare still fighting the Boy Wonder. When his eyes narrowed back a little, he had proven to himself that Miss Erewaker came along willingly.

Just then, Alex caught sight of Jervis lying on the floor.

"Hatta!" she shouted. That was when Robin finally got his chance and just put the brunette to sleep with a sedative.

When Robin met Batman's gaze, the young man said, "Yeah I know, you said don't hurt her and I didn't. See? I just knocked her out. Besides, I didn't went through all those training with you to just get beaten by some capoeira."

Batman looked down on the brunette then lying on the floor.

"She wasn't under mind-control," he said almost to himself.

"That much I already found out," replied Robin, as he looked up to the Dark Knight. "So, we call the Commissioner and the others, right?"

"No," answered Batman. "I need to talk to her first. We wait till she wakes up."

"But it'll take at least an hour," said Robin.

"Then we'll wait for an hour."

* * *

Cable wires. Batman's cable wires. That was what kept Jervis tied up on the chair he was in. And yet, although he knew his struggle of trying to set himself free from those bonds were but to no avail, he was still trying.

"You," he growled to the Dark Knight. "Not this time. You cannot take her away from me!"

"All it takes is one call," said Batman, "and the police will come here and take her."

Again the Hatter struggled to be freed of his bonds some more as though he'd burst out of it any moment and strangle the vigilante in front of him with his own bare hands. If he could be able to do it.

"Of course, in another case, she could go to Arkham with you," added the vigilante.

This made the Hatter stopped struggling and looked up to the Dark Knight with slightly widened eyes. He then looked down on the floor, staring particularly at nothing, shaking his head.

"No," said the Hatter. "No, y-you cant." He looked up once again to Batman. "You wouldn't! She does not belong there!"

Narrowing his eyes, Batman almost couldn't believe the worry look he saw in the rogue's eyes. Said rogue was actually worried about the woman.

"Speaking of 'she'," said Robin who was standing beside where the Hatter was all tied up to the chair. The Boy Wonder nodded his head towards the other direction where Alex had just awakened. Just like Jervis, she was also tied to the chair she was in.

As Batman turned around to face her, the lovers caught sight of each other.

"Jervis?" said Alex.

"Alex dear, are you alright?" asked Jervis in return.

"I'm fine," replied the brunette. "What about you?"

"Quite fine, dearest," reassured the Englishman. "Quite fine."

Suddenly, the Dark Knight started walking towards Alex.

"Don't you dare go near her!" shouted Jervis angrily.

"Easy, there," said Robin. "He won't hurt her. Unless she gives him a reason to."

The moment Batman got close enough in front of the brunette, he knelt on one knee and met her glare with a steady gaze of his own.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions," he said to her. "I want you to answer it truthfully."

She didn't say a word, and just continued to glare at him.

"Do you want to go back to your old life?" came the question.

"I turned away from my old life, what makes you think I'd want to go back?" she sneered at the masked face.

"Do you want to be with him?" Batman jerked a thumb behind him, indicating the Mad Hatter.

Alex's dark eyes darted back and forth from the vigilante's face towards the Hatter before her gaze once again settled with the vigilante.

"Yes, but where are you going with this?" she asked him.

"When the police gets here they'll be taking him back to Arkham and you'll be going back to where you have left out before you met him," stated the vigilante, still keeping a steady gaze on the brunette.

"But I don't want to go back," she said, her eyes were pleading. "There's nothing I'd be going back to. Nothing's left. I threw it all away for him."

"Then are you willing to go to Arkham with him?"

Tears were brimming in her eyes, but Alex held it back. "Please, let me just be with him, I don't care where."

The vigilante stood up, towering over her like a dark shadow with eyes. "You don't belong there," he said.

Glaring up to the Batman, Alex stayed silent but for a moment before saying between clenched teeth, "Fine. Take him there, and let me go back to gather up what I've just thrown away, not that I have any intentions in doing so anyway. But I promise you this: I. Will. Get. Him. Out."

"You'll fail," countered Batman.

"That doesn't matter!" countered back Alex. "I'll do anything just to be with him, and if it means I'll end up in Arkham as well, that's fine by me."

Batman narrowed his eyes on the brunette and turned to look towards the Mad Hatter. Then back to the brunette. Then to Robin. Then he decided to walk away a few feet from the three, pulling out a communication device from his utility belt. Just one call and the Commissioner along with other police officers will come to their location and take back the rogue back to the asylum. But what of the brunette?

He looked down on the device in his gloved hand.

It won't be that hard anymore, really. She chose to be with a Gotham rogue. Much like a particular blond haired, jester girl who's crazy in love with a psychotic, sadistic clown.

He pushed a button on the device and placed it near his ear.

"Commissioner? It's me..."

* * *

Commissioner Gordon along with a handful of his officers had already arrived at the abandoned hat shop and waited to speak with the Caped Crusader while the Mad Hatter was already taken inside the van which was to take the rogue to Arkham Asylum.

The van wouldn't leave until the Commissioner say so, and as Batman approached, Detective Harvey Bullock was waiting impatiently for a good reason why the moving of the inmate to Arkham should wait a little while longer.

"No media," said Gordon immediately as the vigilante halted to a stop in front of him. "I made sure of that. Besides, you said you needed to talk to me about the lady, and I wouldn't want the attorney to know just yet."

By "attorney", the Commissioner was simply referring to Atty. Rowlett, the so-called close family friend.

"She was never under mind-control," stated Batman.

"Are you kiddin' me?" said Bullock, sounding incredulous.

"Detective, please," said the Commissioner, giving the detective a sidelong glance before looking back up to the vigilante. "Go on."

"She came along willingly," continued Batman, "and if you ask me, we have another 'Harley Quinn' case in our hands."

Gordon placed a hand to his chin, looking thoughtful for a moment, then looked back up to Batman and asked, "How bad is it?"

"There's not much I can say about that," admitted the Dark Knight. "But I've ran a background check on her and found out that she was psychologically tortured when she was very young."

"We'll leave that to the doctors," said Gordon, finally coming to a decision of what to do with the lady writer. "But if that's the case then...Arkham."

Batman only nodded once.

Gordon then motioned for two officers. "Alright take her to the van as well."

The two officers didn't even questioned their superior and took the brunette from Robin. But before they could take another step towards the van, Alex looked up towards Batman, as she met those masked eyes. Batman only inclined his head to her, as she smiled at him in return, as the officers finally took her away.

"If something else come up, I'll be around," said the vigilante as a way of saying good-bye and calling it a night.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll be," said Gordon in return as the Dynamic Duo went off on the Batmobile.

And yet, Bullock still wanted some explanations.

"A 'Harley Quinn' case?" said the detective. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"She fell in love with the Hatter, detective," answered Gordon. "It's that simple."

"I don't get it, Comish," Bullock said almost to himself.

"Do you want me to re-tell the story of how Harley got to be with the Joker?" said the Commissioner, one white brow raised. It wasn't a question.

"No," said Bullock, shaking his head, "I mean, what does that woman see in that psycho back there anyway?"

Gordon appeared thoughtful for a second. "That's actually a pretty good question, detective," he admitted. "You should try asking _her_ that."

Moments later the van escorted with Commissioner Gordon and his handful of officers was on its way to Arkham Asylum, bringing with them an escaped inmate, and a new one. The two, who were both handcuffed, sat across each other inside the van and hadn't said a word to the other since the journey to Arkham started. It was Alex who finally broke in after getting too worried of her lover's silence.

"Hatta?" She said the word in a voice that was almost a whisper.

He looked up to her.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

The Hatter sighed and bowed his head once more.

"I'm sorry, Alex," he started to say. "I didn't want it to be this way. Perhaps it was best if you _had_ finished the story. Perhaps it was best if I had left and went away. As far away as possible from you. Perhaps it would have been for the best. Then I wouldn't have loved you."

Alex felt a sting in her eyes as though tears may pour out of them at any moment. "Why are you saying that?"

He looked up to her once again when he thought he heard her voice was about to break, and as he did, he saw eyes brimming with tears.

"Oh, Alex dearest, please don't cry," he said, an uncomfortable feeling of pain suddenly grabbed at his chest. "You don't understand. You don't belong in Arkham. You shouldn't be anywhere near that...that terrible, terrible place."

"But I wanted to be with you." The brunette stood up, slightly rocking from side to side because of the van's movement as she tried to balance herself while walking towards the Hatter and sat down beside him. "No matter where you go, I'll want to be with you. Please don't blame yourself for this. You forget, I chose this for myself."

Jervis shook his head. "They won't believe that, my dear," he said with a sad smile.

Alex's expressions suddenly hardened, her brows slightly meeting together as though she was angry at something. "I'll make them believe it," she said. "They'll see that not only Harley Quinn is that crazy to love a psychotic Gotham rogue."

The Hatter was utterly speechless for a moment, staring at his March Hare not knowing what to say in return. Until he finally came to a thought and voiced it out. "You'll do anything to get what you want, won't you?"

She smiled up to him. "Nothing's ever stopped me if I wanted something."

He just smiled in return, as he felt her gloved hand reached over to his own gloved one which was handcuffed all the way to his back.

When she looked away, staring particularly at nothing, her expressions slowly turned into a slightly sad one.

"But what's really bad about this is that I'm not able to bring my hat collection to Arkham," she sighed, her thoughts were that of her hats that was left in their hideout. "Who would take care of those precious things while I'm gone? They'll be left to dusts, and spider webs, and-"

She didn't got to finish her sentence as Jervis gave a peck on her left cheek, startling her a little as it caused her to look back at him. After a few seconds, a smile crept on her face as she rested her head on his right shoulder.

"Well, at least I have a Hatter," she said.

* * *

It took about a grand total of an hour until they were taken to the asylum, and as Jervis stepped out already dressed in his Arkham issued, gray inmate uniform, he looked down on his cuffed wrists which finally he could see in front of him.

"I don't know why I don't get tired in saying this but," said Dr. Leland as she eyed the inmate with a small smile and arms across her chest, "welcome back, Mister Tetch."

Jervis looked up to the psychiatrist with an unamused look on his face. "Forgive me if I don't tip my hat to you, doctor," he said to her. "Furthermore, it does sound rather less amusing now."

If ever Dr. Leland was to comment on that, she wasn't able to when she heard someone from behind as she turned her head to find a brunette dressed in the same gray uniform as Jervis was. The matching clothes fitted her and just like the other inmates, doesn't seem to like her uniform.

"Such a boring color," she commented on the clothes, as two orderlies approached her and cuffed her wrists together.

Just then, Leland looked back to Jervis only to find the rogue's eyes glistening with something she had never seen before in said rogue and couldn't rightly put her finger on it. She wasn't certain what it was, as she looked back to the brunette, then back to the Englishman. And then it hit her. The look in those blue, glistening eyes were a mixture of sadness and regret. It was as if Jervis was trying to say that he didn't want to see Alex in those clothes because it shows her as an inmate of Arkham.

"Hatta," came the brunette's voice, as she stepped a little closer towards Jervis, a slight worried look on her face. "You're making that look again. If this is about me being here, I already told you it's not your fault."

Her latter statement had caused the orderlies to share a look with each other, while Dr. Leland looked on with interest on the two inmates.

Jervis was shaking his head. "This is nothing, my dear, and yes, you need not remind me of it."

Leland, having remembered herself, then decided that the inmates should be taken to their cells.

"Alright, you can take Mister Tetch to his cell, while you on the other hand Miss Erewaker will be taken to A Block," she said in an authorized voice.

"W-Wait," Alex almost stuttered. "Are you saying Jervis and I are on different blocks?" she asked the doctor.

"Yes, Miss Erewaker," answered Leland. "Since you're a new inmate here and that we know nothing yet of your psychological background, you'd have to be taken to Block A."

Alex, of course, was ready to protest.

"B-But I-"

"Alex, no."

But when Jervis stepped in, she was silenced.

"You'd have to go with them, dearest," said the Englishman, "and don't worry, I won't be that far." And with that, he gave her a reassuring smile, slowly taking a step closer to take her hand in his and slightly bended low to plant a soft kiss on her knuckles.

When he stood up straighter once again, Alex was slowly being led away, as the brunette hesitantly released her grip on his hand and took one last look on her lover before she went along down the hallway without a fuss to be taken to Block A, with Dr. Leland following closely behind.

On the other hand, as Jervis was taken to his cell in Block C, his thoughts was diverted from Alex to the co-inmates whom he expected to be there. And just when the double doors opened, since Joker's and the Ventriloquist's cell was nearest to the doors, they were the first ones to see who has come home again.

But most of the inmates barely took notice, as the Mad Hatter passed their cells, except for Jonathan Crane. The moment he heard the doors he knew immediately just who it was. Even though he kept his eyes on the book he was reading when Jervis passed his cell, he risked a glance with his eyes darting towards the Englishman in a brief moment, yet long enough for him to have caught sight of that top hat.

The moment the orderlies were out and Jervis having settled in his cell, Jonathan put aside the book and sat at the edge of his cot, sweeping his lanky legs over it. He looked out on the other side of the glass wall of his cell, turning his head to left as though he could see the Englishman, but he was at least certain enough that he could be heard.

"Hey diddle-diddle," the professor said from his cell, as he waited patiently for an answer.

Jervis, who's cell was just right next to Jonathan's, smiled and opened his mouth to reply. "The cat and the fiddle." Then he turned his head towards right, as though Jonathan was there with him. "Hello, Jonathan."

"I assume you may have had an idea as to whom ratted you out to the Bat?" came the professor's reply.

The scientist in his own cell couldn't say yes, since he _did _have an idea of who it was. "He got to you?" he decided to ask.

"How do you think I got here?" replied Jonathan. "Surrendered myself wholeheartedly?"

Again, the scientist found his smile. "You owe nothing to me, Jonathan," he said as he looked down on his feet, where he was seated at the edge of his cot. "I can't say I wasn't expecting it. Even from you."

Just then, Harley Quinn's voice came from across her cell, saying, "Hey Jervis! So where's your March Hare?"

The March Hare, or Alexania Erewaker, was sitting on her cot in her own cell in Block A, her arms cradling a pillow close to her chest. Dr. Leland could see that the brunette wasn't afraid, just sad inside that lonely cell. Still, she had to ask, "Are you comfortable in your cell, Miss Erewaker?"

The brunette nodded, still keeping her gaze away from the lady doctor on the other side of her cell. "Yeah, just tell me when I'll see Jervis again."

Saddened by this reply, Leland shook her head as she left the confines of Block A, wondering to herself just how the March Hare's case would differ with that of Harley Quinn's. Either way, she hoped that it wouldn't be for the worse.

* * *

After having learned of Alex being taken to Arkham, Atty. George Rowlett was worried to death for the brunette. He had sworn under her parents' grave that he would take care of her, and yet here she was all the way to being an inmate in an asylum for the criminally insane. And yet his reasoning with the judge was to no avail when Dr. Bartholomew, head doctor of Arkham, had requested for Alex to stay confined in the asylum because of her psychological history.

The seasoned doctor had thought it best for Alex to stay in Arkham under their care to look in more into her mental health because of such a psychological background. Also, one of the doctor's reason was because of the unnatural need to be around the Mad Hatter as what Dr. Joan Leland had informed him about.

"Your Honor, I understand Attorney Rowlett's concern," said Bartholomew, "but I can only reassure him that Miss Erewaker will be confined in Block A where most of the harmless inmates are until further notice."

"What does 'until further notice' even mean?" asked George, still not settled with the idea of leaving Alex in Arkham around those psychos in there.

"Indeed," the judge said seated on his high chair. "Care to elaborate on that, doctor?"

"Of course, Your Honor," said the doctor, as he splayed his hands in effect. "See, I fear if ever so that during her stay she might prove dangerous enough, she will be moved to Block C. But that entirely depends upon her, though assuming that she might be influenced by the Mad Hatter, there is a strong possibility that it would have to lead there."

"What's in Block C?" asked the attorney once more, but this time, it was the judge who answered him.

The judge had gotten used to all the cases of these psychopaths being given to him, that he already had knowledge of the infamous C Block wing of Arkham Asylum.

"Block C, attorney," started the judge, "is where you can find those inmates classified as high-class psychotics. And by high-class I'm simply referring to most of the prominent members of the Gotham rogues who are eventually confined in Arkham."

George suddenly felt an uncomfortable feeling grabbed at his chest, finding himself rubbing a hand to his mouth.

If all that would entirely depend on Alex, then he wouldn't doubt it will all lead to her being moved to Block C with all those most feared and notorious rogues in Gotham City. Since nothing had ever stopped Alex from getting what she wants, if she really wanted to be with that buck-toothed mad man, then she will be.

"Need I mention the name of the most infamous inmate in that Block for further explanation?" asked the judge, though it wasn't entirely a question.

George shook his head. "No, Your Honor, I...I get it."

"Good." The judge then turned his attention towards Bartholomew. "Doctor? Anything else?" The doctor shook his head. "Very well, and attorney? Are we all settled with this already?"

The attorney sighed heavily, as though defeated. "Since this had everything to do with Alex's mental health then, I rest my case."

"Very well," the judge cleared his throat. "Miss Erewaker will be then confined in Arkham Asylum and_ if _ever she is moved to Block C Doctor Bartholomew, it is your responsibility to let Attorney Rowlett know about it, since Miss Erewaker's well being is his concern."

Both the doctor and the attorney only nodded to what the judge said.

"Alright. So, do you have anything to say in behalf of yourself, Miss Erewaker?" the judge then asked the brunette who had been standing in front of him with two buffed guards standing on either sides of her.

Alex looked up from where she was eyeing her wrists that were cuffed and to the judge as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Yes, Your Maje-"

She stopped herself.

Was she just about to say majesty? She cursed herself in her mind as she bit her lip.

_Damn! _she thought. _Must be reading Alice in Wonderland too much__._

After composing herself, she made to look back up to the judge who was still waiting for her answer.

"None, Your Honor," she finally said, as she made a boring look on her face. "Are we done yet?"

The judge quirked up a brow and took his wooden hammer in hand.

"We are now," he said as he banged on the wooden circle on his high table.


	13. Chapter 13

**- Chapter 13 -**

It had always been that way and the warden had just about got used to it; Dr. Joan Leland was always the one among the many psychiatrists in Arkham who'd always arrive early. And as early as at least a quarter to six in the morning, by which, the good lady doctor would always find him having his cup of coffee. That morning had been one of those times, as the lady doctor approached him with that air of authority about her.

"Mornin', Doctor Leland." He tipped his hat to her and raised his cup slightly. "Have some coffee, will you?"

"That's fine, I've had a good breakfast," replied the doctor kindly. "How are things? All on the good side, I hope?" She crossed her arms on her chest.

The warden simply shrugged as he sipped his cup. "Anything comes up, you'd eventually be notified by it." Leland simply nodded to this.

Suddenly, a cry from an inmate came echoing through the hall. While the warden simply commented that perhaps some of the inmates, (if not most), must already be awake, Leland's thoughts suddenly wandered off to a particular cell in Block A. The warden had been saying a few more things that the lady doctor wasn't actually listening to, when Leland cut him off shortly in his sentence.

"How's Miss Erewaker all through out her first nights?" she asked frankly.

The warden, not expecting the question, though he didn't look like it, raised a brow to the doctor but eventually said, "She took everything rather well for a new one." He said this with a serious tone, and everything about him just became serious when he looked away into the middle distance. "Don't get me wrong, doctor. I've personally checked Block A last night before leaving and when I passed her cell, well, you can tell she's not like the others."

Once again looking up to the doctor, the warden added last, "Just on how peaceful she looked every night, I'd say she always have a good night's sleep." He accompanied it with a smile, but the doctor didn't smiled back, not that it bothered the warden anyway.

Leland then looked down on the floor, a hand to her chin, she seemed to be in deep thought for a moment. At times that the lady doctor would be like that, the warden knew that the moment she looks back up to him, she'll be ordering him to take care of something.

When she did...

"Warden," she started, the look in her dark eyes were serious, "I want you to keep an eye on her especially when she interacts with any of the inmates from Block C. Just when you have free time."

The warden blinked. "Something up, doctor?" he asked.

Leland turned her head towards the hall leading to Block A.

"A lot of people have been making observations that she's different," said the doctor almost more to herself. "That she's not like _others_. I wanted to see just how different she really is."

* * *

That morning was Alex's first actual breakfast in the cafeteria of Arkham Asylum. She took her tray and turned to see the tables all full of inmates eating their respective breakfasts. Looking around for a free table, she couldn't help thinking that it felt like high-school. Then, all of a sudden, she felt something cold and metallic nudged at her softly from behind. When she turned around to see who it was, she found two blue eyes, a big grin and blond hair tied in bunches. There was no mistake on who it was with just the bunches.

It was the first time ever that Alex had come face to face with Harley Quinn; the jester girl and on/off girlfriend to the Joker. Now that she had seen the blonde in person, she didn't know what to think of Harley.

"Hey there!" greeted Harley cheerfully. "Ya must be the March Hare, right?"

"Uh.." Alex opened her mouth to try and make out a reply. Her mouth made several movements before she could make out a word. "Well, yes."

"Well come on!" Harley then nudged the brunette on the rib and headed on a few steps. "Let's go to them, already. Jervis's been missin' ya like hell. I promised him I won't go to our table until you're with me."

The blonde jerked her head towards a direction by which, when Harley finally moved on forward, Alex decided to follow thinking that it was best she should anyway since she hadn't seen Jervis since she was taken to her cell at Block A. And although she had been out of her cell, that was for the therapy sessions with Dr. Leland. She hadn't been to the common room yet and hadn't even attended to any group therapy with other inmates.

Harley led her to one particular table of the cafeteria where a red haired rogue whom Alex only got to see on television was seated. There was Poison Ivy, along with the Scarecrow and her dear Hatter.

She took the seat beside Jervis rather hesitantly, as she laid her tray down on the table very slowly, while Harley took the seat beside Ivy. Everyone quietly ate their respective breakfast but Alex just kept playing with her food and Jervis couldn't help looking at her a little worried. His eyes darted from her face to how her hand held her fork and kept poking at her food.

It took several heartbeats more before he finally spoke to her.

"Alex, dear, are you alright?"

"Yeah, sure," she said without looking up to him.

Still, Jervis pressed on. "If you do not feel alright with eating at this table, we could move to another."

The brunette bit her lip and shook her head. "No, the table's fine."

"Then what is it, dearest? Please, tell me."

Slowly, her head moved to look up to him. Once again she bit her lip, before saying, "It's just...I missed you."

Jervis blinked. And then, he smiled. He could almost shook his head to this brunette in front of him.

He reached a hand to her cheek, as he leaned over to plant a careful kiss on her forehead. "Dearest, I missed you too. But if that were the case, why so uncomfortable and uneasy around me?"

"I don't know how to react." She said that as though it was the most stupidest thing she had ever said.

Jervis continued to smile. He was thankful that the Joker wasn't there at the moment. "Come, come, you should eat."

Either the two were aware or not that Jonathan and Ivy were giving them curious glances, the lovers didn't seem to care, as the two mentioned red hairs lowered their voices into a whisper.

"How sweet can she get around him?" asked Ivy, cautiously pointing with her spoon towards the brunette. "Or him around her, even."

Jonathan shrugged, swallowing the last bit of food in his mouth. "As sweet as it gets, I suppose," said Jonathan, trying to ignore the couple sitting across from him. "Though whether or not if there are people around matters, that I don't know. "

"Learrve the guyssh alone," mumbled Harley with food in her mouth, not caring whether she was heard or not. She continued after she swallowed her food with some water. "Ya all don't know what's it like havin' someone special in your life."

Ivy rolled her green eyes. Since she didn't want to comment in using Harley's relationship with Joker, she just said, "Yeah right, as if I'd need a man in my life." With a graceful movement from her hand, she tucked her auburn hair behind one ear.

Harley then looked towards the professor, as though asking him what he has to say.

Jonathan, eyes slightly widened with one brow raised, wasn't expecting Harley's eyes on him. Either way, he quickly regained composure and said, "I don't have time for such foolishness in my life. They would only mean trouble to me, experience tells me so."

Slightly pouting, Harley just continued to eat her breakfast. When her gaze once again fell on the lovers at her table, she couldn't help but smile to herself. She had to admit that she had never seen "old Jervis" that way...

* * *

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

That would have been the only annoying and continuous noise inside her cell, if only there was a clock. And since there was none, Alex somehow wished that there was. At least she'd know what time it was, thinking that it would have been less boring knowing the time. Now she couldn't even tell for how long had she'd been inside her cell doing nothing while lying down on her cot.

_Jeez, how boring can it get around here?_ she thought to herself, scowling up at her ceiling. _There's no wonder a__nyone who's an inmate here would really want to escape._

Sounds of footsteps approaching her cell, and that of her door as though being unlocked, made Alex sat up on her cot with her gaze immediately falling upon her door which opened to reveal two male orderlies. One of them, as she noticed, was having handcuffs with him as the two approached her.

"Let's go, Miss Erewaker," said one to her, as the other took her softly by the arm and hauled her to her feet.

"Go where?" she asked, not caring to mind as her hands were cuffed in front of her.

"Don't worry, it's just group therapy," said the second orderly, leading her out of her cell.

"But I won't be going to group therapy till tomorrow," she said, remembering what Dr. Leland told her on her last solo session with the doctor.

"That group therapy you're saying is exclusive for Block A inmates only," said the first orderly, shutting her cell door locked. "For interaction purposes among the inmates of the same block. This group therapy we're to take you is the one usually held in the common room."

"The common room?" repeated the brunette.

"Yeah, that's right, the common room," verified the second orderly as the three of them started walking. "You'll be in group therapy along with the Block C inmates. I'm sure you're more than thrilled, assuming of course that you know just which inmates are on that group."

Not wanting to ask more, Alex looked down on her feet, seemingly chasing each other under her line of vision as she took one step at a time.

A group therapy with Jervis.

Perhaps it wouldn't be that boring after all, she just needed to be patient.

Though along the way to the common room, by every step she made she was getting rather impatient to get to their destination.

Luckily for her, they didn't take too long, as she entered the common room while being escorted by the two orderlies, her eyes immediately fell upon a group of inmates all gathered around Dr. Leland. But what really caught her eyes was a blue ribboned, black top hat which was obviously towering over the heads.

As she drew nearer, two of the inmates having their backs to her, (the Riddler and Two-Face), turned their head towards her direction to reveal the face of the owner of the top hat.

Jervis and Alex locked eyes for a long moment even while Alex's hand were being freed from the handcuffs around her wrists. It was Leland's voice that made them break away from the seemingly long stare.

"Forgive me if I wasn't able to tell you about this on our private session, Miss Erewaker," apologized the lady doctor. "But since you're already here, please do sit down. We already saved you a seat, as you can see."

Leland gestured with a hand to the chair just beside where Jervis was sitting. Either it was intentional or not, Alex didn't care much since it didn't matter anyway. So she took her seat without a word, as the orderlies who escorted her left and went on their way, while she tried keeping her gaze to the ground not wanting to make eye-contact with the Joker, who was seated on the couch and had a straitjacket on.

When she did moved her head, she only caught sight of how close her chair was to her lover's. Though she was reluctant, she carefully placed her hand on Jervis's right leg. The Hatter took this as a way of saying that the brunette was just happy to be there, but was feeling a bit out of place, in which case this was true. So he smiled to himself and placed his own hand over her's, as though to offer comfort.

Nygma and Two-Face was not used to such a sight just as what they were seeing since they were sitting right across from the lovers, but they did their very best to ignore it, making boring looks on their faces as they darted their eyes away to anything in particular.

"Shall we begin?" Leland asked the group.

"Whenever you're ready, Doc," replied Joker, his grin as wide as it always have.

"Since this is Miss Erewaker's first time to join us in group therapy," started Leland, "why don't we let her introduce herself to the group. Miss Erewaker, care to share a few things with us about you?"

Finally looking up to the doctor, Alex opened her mouth to reply. "_'Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?'_"

Jervis couldn't help but smirk. "Ah, my girl," he said in a whisper that only he could hear.

"I...beg your pardon?" asked Leland, adjusting her eye-glasses.

"The White Rabbit to the King of Hearts," said Jonathan Crane all of a sudden, catching the attention of the lady doctor. "And if I'm not mistaken, it is during that time where the Knave was on trial, at the last chapter; Alice's Evidence."

Edward Nygma rolled his eyes. "Perfect!" he said. "Another Wonderland-obsessed individual in our midst." He waved a hand towards the brunette.

"Actually, I'm not much of a fan of Carroll's," said Alex, suddenly having found her smile. "But it can't be helped once you've read the book, or having spent some time with Jervis."

At this, Nygma simply cast his gaze towards Jonathan who was seated next to Jervis on the other side.

Having caught of the Riddler's gaze being upon him, Jonathan glared and said, "It has nothing to do with spending some time with Jervis when it comes to me. So your thoughts are wrong."

Nygma quirked up a brow. "Nothing wrong about assuming such a thought. Considering that you've been in good terms with the Hatter and is the only one you spend most of your time playing chess with here in the common room."

Dr. Leland cleared her throat, as though trying to tell the two red-head rogues that was enough. Once again, she turned her attention to the brunette. "That's a good start, Miss Erewaker."

"Alex."

Leland slightly frowned. "I'm sorry?"

"If you're to use Miss in referring to me, just accompany it with 'Alex'."

Nodding, Leland once again adjusted her glasses with one hand.

"Alright then, Miss Alex."

* * *

"Alright then, Miss Erewaker, time to go back to your cell."

Dark eyes looked up to the guard who was waiting patiently for the brunette to stand up. But just before Alex did stand up, she made one last look towards the Hatter who was sitting across her on the table.

"This is the first favor I ask from you, Hatta. Think on it, please."

With that, she finally left, having been escorted out of the common room.

Jervis was having a serious look on his face as he sighed and put his hands together in front of him, his elbows were on the table.

After the group therapy, Alex was given a few minutes to stay in the common room, and so they had time to talk. But the talk they had was something Jervis would have wished to never would have happened.

Their talk was about the Ventriloquist, yes, Arnold Wesker.

_"I've never seen such a curious kind of split personality." _Those were her opening words.

Still, most of what Alex said echoed in his thoughts.

_"It's pretty obvious that the dominant personality is Scarface, but I want to see what it would be like if Arnold himself _is_ the puppet."_

Of course at first he didn't quite understood what she meant, and so she explained.

_"Just a little something I'd like to try. Don't you think it's an amusing idea if we make the Ventriloquist himself as _the_ puppet?"_

Just by how she said "the puppet", the thought finally hit him before she even said it. She wanted to use a mind-control on Arnold and wanted to make him into her own personal puppet for her amusement until she's satisfied.

He would have agreed without fuss, but he knew the consequences for that.

In doing so, it's possible that Alex could pose as dangerous enough to be around other inmates if she wanted to, considering that Arnold is a Gotham rogue. That would give the doctors enough reason to move her to Block C, something that Jervis just didn't want to happen. As best possible he did't want Alex near his block...because of that Clown.

"You seem rather deep in thought."

Jonathan's voice pulled Jervis back to his senses, as the scientist looked up to the professor who took the seat just where Alex sat moment's ago.

The Englishman didn't reply and just sighed, rubbing his forehead with one hand.

"Had a little spat already?" asked Jonathan, having finally settled on his seat.

"No, nothing like that," Jervis replied.

Leaning back on the back rest of his chair and placing his arms across his chest, Jonathan asked, "Is it something that serious?"

There was a long moment of silence from the Englishman, but the only reply the professor received was, "Apologies, Jonathan, but this is something I need to think on by myself. Now, if you please excuse me."

Jonathan watched as the Hatter stood and asked one of the guards to escort him back to his cell. Although he was rather disappointed, the professor just let it go, thinking that it was for the best since it would only be troublesome on his side if he knew what occurred in the conversation between the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. Besides, he was certain that he'd find out about it anyway.


	14. Chapter 14

**- Chapter 14 -**

Doctors Bartholomew and Leland looked at the crying inmate from the other side of the glass wall.

Arnold Wesker was mind-controlled to doing things he wouldn't want to do if he were aware of it.

"Oh, M-Mister Scarface," he cried, cradling the puppet close to him. "I wasn't aware. I d-didn't know. Please forgive me."

"Alright already, just let go!" said the puppet, not liking the close proximity between his "dummy"and him. "Jeez! You're embarrassin' me, ya know that? Besides, this wouldn't have happened if you weren't so _stupid_ enough of trustin' that woman."

The Ventriloquist only continued to cry. "B-But how should I know? I didn't do anything to her. Why? Why would she do that?"

Not even the doctors knew why, as they looked at each other, their eyes seemingly want to tell that they've come to a decision.

"I suppose I'll go talk to him," said Dr. Bartholomew.

"And I'll go talk to _her_," said Leland.

The doctors then both went out of Block C and separated to go to their respective offices. And a few minutes later...

_At Leland's office..._

"What made you think of doing that to Arnold?"

Leland sat on a chair inside her office, and across from her was one of her patients, Alexania Erewaker a.k.a. the "March Hare". The lady doctor first assumed that perhaps the Mad Hatter had talked Alex into mind-controlling Arnold Wesker since only the Hatter had such a sick amusement of dominating a person's mind. But as she had reached to her third question, the brunette was giving signs that it was her (Alex) idea since from the start. And as Leland came to think about it more clearly, it didn't sound like the Mad Hatter.

"Would you believe me if I tell you I was just curious?" replied the brunette, her expressions were serious.

"Did Mister Tetch told you to do it?" asked Leland, although something inside her already knew the answer to that.

"No, it was my idea!" said Alex, who couldn't help but sound a little defensive.

"Still, you can't deny that you got the device from him," countered the lady doctor.

But Alex was all ready to defend. "_I_ talked him into it, he was even thinking twice at first."

Leland sighed. She can't say she wasn't expecting this from the brunette. But there are so many things to consider why they have come to a decision to moving Miss Alex to Block C. 1) Alex is a natural; 2) she's already becoming dangerous enough to be around the inmates in her block; and 3) this is what the brunette wants.

"Come to think about it," Leland spoke again, "this isn't the first time you've done harm to a fellow inmate. You've already hurt three from you're own block." The psychiatrist paused for a moment to look at more intently on the brunette's face. "Miss Alex, I'm afraid you're crossing the line."

_At Bartholomew's office..._

Dr. Bartholomew rubbed a hand to his forehead before looking up once again to the inmate who sat right across from him. It turned out to be that the Mad Hatter was looking back at him expectantly.

Taking his time to sigh, Bartholomew straightened himself on his chair. "So that's it? She was able to convince you?" he said to the inmate.

"Doctor, she's a rather stubborn piece of work," replied Jervis, nonchalantly. "Nothing's ever stood in her way if she wanted something." At this, he looked away, looking at nothing in particular, smiling to himself. "Now, how could I say no to such a lass? Besides..." He looked up once again to the doctor. "..It's always been my philosophy that people should take what they want in life."

"Alright, since it's obvious what the two of you are trying to do," said Bartholomew, adjusting his eye-glasses like so, "we'll give it to you. Fortunately there's still room for Miss Erewaker in Block C. Later this afternoon she'll be moved there, and I know you'll be more than thrilled for her to have the cell right next to yours."

Jervis said nothing more.

Oh well, it would all have to come to that anyway.

* * *

Later that afternoon, the double doors to Block C opened as two orderlies escorted the new addition to the Gotham Rogues.

"Well lookie here, the March Hare having found the place where she should be," said Joker, coming to stand close on the glass wall of his cell, pressing both his hands and face on it as he watched the brunette being led inside and deeper into the block. "Don't worry little Marchie, this just proves you don't have to be crazy to be here, but it helps. **HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! ****AAAHH****-HAHAHAHA!**"

The Joker's laugh echoed through the hall as Ivy made an uninterested look on her face, petting one of her beloved plants. "I'm just happy there's another girl in here. Seriously, this block already reeks of men."

"Nobody's askin' ya, Red," replied Joker from his cell.

Along the way, Harley made a quick greeting of "Hiya, Marchie!" as Alex passed by, in which, Alex replied to this by a simple "Hello, Harley". And as she stepped right in front of Jervis's cell, she halted to a stop, causing the two orderlies escorting her to stop on their tracks as well. Jervis and Alex shared a look, as the scientist only smiled to her, and jerked his head towards the direction of the cell next to his where she was to be taken.

Not saying a word as she returned the smile, Alex went on until she was finally left inside her new cell. Finally, she was in Block C.

Only when she was certain that the two orderlies had went out, after hearing the double doors had been closed, Alex sat on her cot and gazed out on the other side of the glass wall. The cell right across form her's was vacant, because of that she half wished that she had the Riddler's cell instead since it was the cell right across from Jervis's own.

"Hatta?" she called out to her lover. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes, dearest, I can," came the Hatter's reply. "What is it?"

"You're probably a bit angry at me for talking you into this," she said as she bit her lip but for a moment. "See it's getting a bit boring and lonely at Block A. And also because I wanted to be near where you are."

"That is alright, my dear. It can't be helped," reassured Jervis. "Heaven knows what you're capable of just to be here, and I'm certain you didn't even need my help for it. And no, I'm not angry at you, not even the slightest."

This had caused Alex to smile. "Well anyway, at least now you're right next door."

* * *

Atty. Rowlett put down the phone right before the line from the other side went dead. He was sitting at his desk inside his study, and it was already four in the afternoon. He was silent as he sat there, his thoughts were that of his godchild. His goddaughter, Alexania.

The call was from Arkham, and just as what agreed in court, he was informed about Alex being moved to Block C minutes ago.

He let out a heavy sigh.

Well, personally he was somehow expecting it, but he never knew just how to react to it when the time comes. And now that it had happened, he didn't know what to think. A part of him was blaming himself for not being able to watch over her more carefully after her parents' death, and the other part of him was angry at the brunette for having fallen in love with a Gotham psychopath. He always knew of Alex as a smart girl in her own way, but with this, she wasn't using what intelligence she have.

Another sigh, as he finally decided to once again reach for the phone and dialed the number of the asylum. It was about time he talk to her, so he had to make an appointment first. The attorney continued to wait as the line on the other side continued to ring until someone finally picked it up.

~ _"Good day, how may I help you?"_

"Um, yes, this is me again, Attorney Rowlett." He cleared his throat.

~ _"Yes, attorney."_

"Is it possible for me to make a visit there for Miss Erewaker?"

~_ "Of course, attorney. We'll note Doctor Bartholomew on that. How's tomorrow at three p.m. sounds, sir?"_

* * *

"You _are _cute, I give ya that, but not that cute. So don't push your luck, babe."

Scarface had confronted Alex in the common room the moment the two of them got the chance to have caught sight of each other. While the puppet continued to exchange remarks and threats with the brunette, Arnold kept asking "Mr. Scarface" that they shouldn't but his plea's were in vain, as Scarface just kept turning the Ventriloquist down with the usual "Shut up, dummy!" remark.

"Gee, wonder if I had gone through the Looking Glass," said Alex, a finger to her lips. "'Cause I'm looking straight back at Tweedle-_dumb_," she pointed a finger towards Arnold, "and Tweedle-_dumber_." She then pointed a finger to Scarface.

Scarface leaned in closer towards the brunette with Arnold having this expression on his face that tells as though he had just realized that things were just beginning to get from bad to worse.

"You's lookin' for some real trouble, doll-face?" said Scarface, threateningly.

Alex glared back. "Back off, wood-work."

"P-Please, Miss Erewaker, don't push him," pleaded Arnold to the brunette.

"Dearest, this isn't necessary," chimed in Jervis from behind Alex.

"But he's asking for it," said Alex, turning her head towards the scientist. Jervis sighed.

"Will you listen to what I say even just for once?" he said to her as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

The look on his face was just enough, as Alex made one last glare towards the puppet and turned her back on the Ventriloquist. Her face already softened when she looked up to Jervis.

"Yeah well, maybe for once, if that's what you want," she said to him, earning an adoring smile from her lover.

"I heard you'll be having a visitor soon," said Jervis, having remembered being told by Alex that her godfather was to visit her this afternoon.

Before the brunette could say yes, Dr. Leland along with a guard came into the common room, as the psychiatrist called for Alex's attention.

"Miss Alex, the attorney is here to see you."

Both the blond-haired man and the brunette looked towards where the psychiatrist was standing two feet from the opened door of the room.

Alex looked back up to Jervis. "And that he's already here."

Jervis only nodded and raised Alex's hand to his lips, planting a careful and soft kiss. He then let go of her hand as the guard approached and escorted her out of the common room, with Dr. Leland leading the way.

As Alex finally disappeared and didn't looked back since the door was closed and the guard was big enough to block her vision, Jervis almost regretted ever letting go of her hand. But hey, what could he have done by then?

Along the way to the visiting area, Alex kept thinking of what her dear Uncle George had in mind. Naturally he's worried about her, of that she was already quite aware, but what she didn't know was what he had in mind to talk about. But if ever this was about the whole "why-did-you-choose-to-be-with-that-psychopath" kind of things, then she was about ready to give answers.

It wasn't long before she was led to this small grey room with a glass wall separating the space into two. On the other side of that was her godfather, wearing a suit as always, looking professional as she had remembered. When she was finally left alone, her hands released from those cold metallic cuffs, she walked over to the plastic chair and sat down, looking straight back to the older man on the other side of the glass with those small circle holes just above the desk so they could hear each other when they speak. (The glass was thick enough to not allow air go through, which was why there was a single opened window on either sides of the two spaces).

"How are you?" the attorney asked first. "Are they treating you well here? Do they give you enough food? What about your interactions with the inmates? Has one of them hurt you?"

"Are you going to let me answer any one of those, or are you going to end your five minute visit with questions?" Alex almost said it as though she was getting annoyed. But remembering whom she was speaking to, she didn't quite show it that much.

The attorney sighed and took his moment before he spoke again. "Sorry. I'm sorry. It's just that, I'm worried about you."

"Don't," said the brunette. "Haven't they told you? Three inmates from Block A were taken to the infirmary because of me a few days ago, and my last victim was the Ventriloquist. I can handle myself here, Uncle George."

"But you're not suppose to be here." Atty. Rowlett leaned over to the glass a little closer. "You don't belong here with them."

"What can you do about it?" replied Alex. "I'm here for rehabilitation, and I won't be going out until that's done. Well, as if rehab would do me any good." This had only caused the attorney to let out a sigh once more.

"Yes, I'm aware of that. And for that matter you're broke. If only I got enough money I'd bribe you out-"

"Wait what?" Alex interrupted. "Bribe? You're willing to do that?"

"To get you out of here? Yes, I'll do it!" George almost shouted. When Alex didn't make any attempt to reply, he sunk a little on his chair and said, "But what I really want to know is why, why of all people did you have to fall in love with a psycho?"

Folding her arms across her chest, Alex thought: _Of course you'll ask me that._

"_'For fools rush in where angels fear to tread.'_"

She was quoting her answer of course, and the attorney didn't know about that, he took it as an original response only spoken in a poetic form since she was a writer.

"All those years of therapy, and for what?" he asked, having caught her off guard by the question. "To see you ending up in an insane asylum in the end, if your parents could see us now they're probably furious about me for not taking care of you well enough."

Her expressions softened by the sight in those old eyes she remembered was always smiling each time she'd looked up to them when she was just a child. Now those eyes were full of worry, and sadness, and perhaps a pinch of anger as well.

"You don't have to blame yourself, Uncle George," she said to him, placing her hands on the desk in front of her. "This was _my_ choice, so this is _my_ fault. You didn't know."

The attorney shook his head. "What did that nut-job do to you?" he said not fully aware of where that question came from, and it had caused her soft expressions to suddenly harden. In which, she replied with a slight growl, "He did nothing to me."

Atty. Rowlett, only having seen Alex with such a glare twice, (once was in a heated argument with a teacher and second was with a school bully), wasn't expecting that look on her face. Eventually he was able to compose himself quickly and recovered.

"Forgive me if I still don't understand why," he said, meeting her gaze with his own steady one. "_Why_, for heaven's sake, why _him_? If he didn't force you or anything then why _choose_ to be with him?"

It was written all over his face - worry, hurt, sadness, confused. Alex didn't want to see all those things on the face of a person somehow dear to her. And yet, she have to answer truthfully because it was what she was feeling.

"_'Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-_  
_I took the one less traveled by,_  
_And that has made all the difference.'_"

Once again, the attorney sighed. "Alex please, you know how people don't understand you when you talk like that."

"This road that I chose isn't an easy one, I know," the brunette said. "But since I won't be going back, I think it's time you move on." The attorney looked up to his goddaughter as though he didn't hear her right. "The Alexania you once knew is gone," she continued, "and you should forget about her. And everything that goes with it."

For a long moment George looked deeply into Alex's eyes, and he saw...nothing. Nothing of the Alexania that he knew. She was right.

"I see," he nodded. "So you looked back, risked a glance, but only once. Just once. You're determined to go on, and had no more intentions of going back." She only nodded sadly in return. "Alright. Alright, if that's the case." He didn't want to say it. Just about now he was having this uncomfortable feeling of pain and loss grabbing at his chest. "Then I suppose this is the last time we see each other again."

She looked away. And he shed a tear.

"Well," he sniffed as he stood up from his plastic seat, and took one last look to his goddaughter. Oh how much he failed her. How much he failed her parents. How much he screwed up as a godfather. "Good bye, Alex. Don't die young."

With that, Atty. George Rowlett walked out, from the brunette, from his goddaughter, from his responsibilities on her, out of her life.

Just when an orderly opened the door to escort Alex back a minute later, she had silently shed tears of her own.

* * *

"You know, Harl, I thought that you'd be at least a little cross about what Alex did to Arnold."

Pamela Lillian Isley, or more commonly known as Poison Ivy, was sitting on her cot inside her cell and was obviously talking to her blond hair pal. She knew all too well that the other inmates around who were also in their respective cells wouldn't mind or even care to listen.

"Whatcha mean?" replied the blond, not taking her eyes off the magazine she was holding. "Why should I be cross with Ears?"

"Ears?" Ivy raised a brow.

"Yeah, that's my new nickname for little Miss Harebrained." Harley popped her chewing gum and after chewing it once more, took it out of her mouth and stuck it under her cot. "I figured 'Marchie' sure is a little common used already."

"Whatever." Ivy gracefully tucked her auburn hair behind one ear. "Anyway, what I mean is, aren't you in good terms with the Ventriloquist?"

This time, Harley put aside the magazine. "Yeah, yeah, I know what ya mean. But I'm sure Ears just meant it as a joke. I mean come on, at least she didn't kill Arnie, that has to count for somethin'."

"Right," said Ivy with a subtle smile. "You of all people would know a joke when you see one, won't you, Harl?"

Just from across the hall after what Ivy said, Joker was snickering in his cell.

Seconds later, the double doors to the block opened, only to reveal Alex being escorted by two orderlies. She was taken to her cell without a single word from either her or the orderlies, Jervis noticed that she was hiding her face in her hair. Even as the orderlies left he didn't make any attempt to engage into conversation with her, he thought best that it wasn't the best time.

Perhaps he was right to do so, for Alex needed some time alone. Not for the first time was she thankful that the cell from across her's was empty, as she shed a few more tears as she hugged herself with her knees over her chest, wishing so hard with all her heart that whatever happens, nothing would make her regret her decision...

* * *

**A/N:** "From the first quotation, Alex was quoting from Alexander Pope's _An Essay on Criticism_ while the last one was quoted from Robert Frost's _The Road Not Taken_."


	15. Chapter 15

**- Chapter 15**** -**

An all too familiar sound rang in Arkham - the alarm. This, of course, only meant that one of the inmates have escaped. On that day, the most infamous inmate of all was the one who had escaped (again) - the Joker. And the Clown Prince of Crime did this so by stealing a certain little micro circuitry which was made by none other than the Mad Hatter.

Joker wanted to have fun as he escapes in his own psychopathic way, and with the additional irritable persistence of the guards to stop him, he used the circuitry on the only person he thought worthy of using it on - the March Hare. He did this thinking that the Hare would at least be able to help him fend off the guards since the Hatter's inventions gives its victims an increase in strength. Although, if the Joker was aware that the circuitry had side effects, none was so certain, but Jervis. The Hatter was convinced that the psychopathic clown knew.

Jervis started working on a little experiment when he remembered the time Joker put him into a coma and left him a smiling vegetable. He thought of making a circuitry that would only last in a limited time before it shuts all by itself that would cause the victim unconsciousness. And even if the circuitry would be removed, the victim would still be in a coma-like state and would only wake up on God know's when.

It sounded rather easy but even by trying to make it was complicated; it took him about two weeks before actually having gathered all the materials he needed and another week in actually making it. When he had finished it, he wasn't able to test it on any of those inmates from Block A, since he was caught hiding it under his top hat and was confiscated from him. He had forgotten about it ever since...until the Joker escaped.

And so, as Joker was within a hundred miles away from the asylum, Alex was left in a coma and taken to the infirmary.

Leaving Jervis with a sling over his shoulder, blaming himself...

_Nine days later..._

When Alex opened her eyes, she found that she was lying in bed and that a doctor was there with her. And judging by the surroundings, she immediately realized that she wasn't in her cell.

"Welcome back, Miss Erewaker," greeted the doctor.

"Where am I?" she asked with a groan as she tried to get up, only to be stopped by the doctor's hand.

"Now, now," said the doctor, "you've only just awaken, you still need to lie down." He then pulled out of his pocket a small flashlight, turned it on and placed it near Alex's eyes. "Now I want you to follow the light with your eyes."

The brunette did without fuss.

"Good, that's good," the doctor said, pulling away a little, still looking at Alex. "To answer your question, you're here in Arkham's infirmary."

Alex looked around by moving her head still on the pillow before she asked, "What happened?"

The doctor took in some air before answering. "Well, what's the last thing you can remember?"

Squinting her eyes a little, Alex saw a vision in her mind of a pale-skinned face with a big grin coming towards her.

"Joker," she said in a half growl. "His face is the last thing I can remember." She looked up to the doctor. "He's the reason why I'm here, isn't he?"

The doctor nodded.

"Where's that psychopathic clown now?" asked the brunette.

"Escaped" was the doctor's simple reply. And right before Alex ask for more information, he quickly told her about how she was in a from of coma for nine days, which was the result of what Joker did; mind-controlling her for his escape.

"You've hurt mostly guards, and only a few orderlies," he said. "And as for inmates, there is one..."

As the doctor trailed off, it was enough to have caught Alex's attention, which eventually made the brunette ask.

"Inmate? Who?"

The doctor made a clicking sound with his tongue between his teeth before he bit his tongue. He knew that the inmate staring back at him wouldn't quite like what he was about to say, but there was nothing he could do about it. She was bound to find out anyway.

"Let's just say that...he's the closest one to you around here."

The expressions on Alex's face completely changed as she slowly tried to sit up on bed once again. This time, the doctor didn't bother stopping her from doing so. "_He_?" she repeated.

"Need I say his name?" replied the doctor. "He is the only man here closest to you, is he? At least, we all here think so."

For a moment, Alex sat there in silent, lips slightly parted and concern were suddenly surfacing in her dark eyes.

"How is he?" she blurted out all of a sudden. "Did I hurt him bad? Where is he now?" She looked around, thinking that she might see her Hatter.

"He's fine, actually," said the doctor. He made it sound so casual. "Just a broken arm, but he's fine. He was out of the infirmary two days after he was brought here with you."

Again, Alex fell into silence, as she bowed her head to find herself looking down on her clenched fists.

"I broke his arm?" she said in almost a whisper, but loud enough for the doctor to hear her.

At this, the doctor's expressions turned serious, but he decided to turn around.

The doctor thought: _It's best that I leave her to herself._ "You should rest more," he said out loud. "You've only just awaken. I'll be going to Doctors Bartholomew and Leland to tell them that you're awake."

With that, the doctor went out of the room, as Alex found herself completely alone...

* * *

There was no doubt that the last few moves Jervis made on the chessboard was the wrong moves. In fact, it was too obvious, which was why Jonathan frowned heavily on the board and looked up to his opponent who was sitting across from him at the table. Just by the look on the face, the professor could tell that the Mad Hatter's mind was wandering off somewhere else.

Keeping an eye on the scientist, Jonathan made his move, capturing Jervis's bishop. "I've noticed that you're being quite careless with your moves today, I might actually win against you."

The scientist looked up briefly, but those blue eyes didn't see Jonathan, as the blond-haired head looked down on the chessboard once more.

"Uh, yes, yes. If you say so."

Jonathan continued to frown.

It would seem Jervis didn't hear him either.

"I'm insulted," the professor said, quirking up a brow. "You weren't even listening to a word I said."

This time, Jervis heard his redhead friend. He looked up to find a serious face looking straight back at him expectantly.

"My apologies," said Jervis in almost a whisper. At this, Jonathan gave up and watched in silent as Jervis made his move. That was, until the professor heard the door of the common room opened.

The redhead shifted on his chair to see who it was only to find a brunette being led into the room. The guard let of her arm the moment the door was closed as the brunette walked in and seemed to be going straight towards the the couch where Harley Quinn was seated watching a Bugs bunny cartoon on TV.

The brunette was Alex, of course.

She walked on as though there was no one in the room but her, until her gaze met Jervis's. Not really knowing what to do, she decided to ignore the Hatter and sat beside Harley on the couch. Jervis followed her with his gaze, turning his head and watched her still until she was seated, while Jonathan silently observed.

"Hey, Ears!" greeted Harley with a big smile, her bunches bouncing on her side as she shifted on her seat to face Alex.

"Hey, Harl," replied the brunette. She still wasn't use to Harley calling her "Ears" but eventually it didn't bother her that much.

Harley leaned in closer and suddenly said, "Listen, I know you're mad 'bout what Mistah J did t'yah."

"Really? No kidding," said Alex, sarcasm can be heard in her voice. She kept her gaze down on the floor, still trying to avoid looking at the blond-haired Englishman who was still watching her.

"I'm sure Mistah J was just showing you how things _really_ run around here," continued Harley as she found her smile again, keeping her eyes on Alex. On the other hand, Alex just nodded, implicating to the blonde that it didn't matter anymore.

Suddenly, Harley noticed how Jervis was looking at Alex. This had caused Harley to wonder, which then caused her to look towards the professor whom met her gaze. Jonathan then nodded once to Harley trying to imply that she should go. The blonde quickly caught up on what it meant.

"Uh, right!" Harley quickly stood up and looked around. When she caught sight of Ivy, she quickly walked towards her redhead gal pal. "Hey, Red! When d'ya think they'll let us go out to the garden again?"

"Why'd you asked?" said Ivy with little interest, looking over her shoulders.

"Jus' wanna know who did a better job between you and me," said the blonde with a big grin.

Ivy smirked. "Huh! Harl, please. I doubt whether you can do a better job than me when it comes to gardening."

Meanwhile, back at the table with the chessboard...

"That's enough for today." Jonathan leaned back on his chair, crossing his arms across his chest. Jervis looked back to him like someone who had just been shaken from daydreaming.

"Oh! Forgive me," the scientist blurted out. "Is it my turn already?"

Jonathan shook his head. "Why not go and talk to her?" he asked.

Jervis glanced back to Alex, then back to Jonathan.

"But, we haven't finished our game," he said.

Again, Jonathan shook his head. "No. I'll not be having you play chess with me in your current state. Now go."

Once again, Jervis turned his gaze towards the brunette sitting all alone on the couch. He hesitated a while longer before he finally got his feet to move when he had stood up. Slowly, he approached the brunette whom he knew was well aware of him coming closer to her. When he had stopped to a standstill, he cleared his throat and asked, "May I sit down?"

The only response he got was a slight nod from her.

Reluctantly, he sat down beside her, and they were quiet for a moment. Until suddenly, he heard her spoke in a whisper, loud enough for him to hear it, "I'm sorry for your arm."

Not quite expecting what she said, Jervis looked down on his arm which was wrapped in white bandages and cradled by a sling.

"Oh, this? This is nothing, dear," he said, the tone in his voice sounded as though he wasn't aware of his arm only until Alex mentioned it.

"The doctor from the infirmary told me that it's not that bad," said Alex once more, causing the scientist to once again look up to her. "But what I want to know is how much it had hurt."

Jervis gave a fleeting glance down his arm again. "Well, if you must know, it did hurt, I admit," he said. "But you weren't aware, so it wasn't entirely your fault." He risked a smile the moment Alex looked up to him.

"You make it sound like it wasn't such a big deal," she told him.

"Because it wasn't, my dear." Not losing his smile, Jervis tried to reassure his dearest March Hare. He then leaned closer to her and whispered into her left ear, "It only made me realize that it is high time for us to get out of here."

Alex, sensing something dark in her lover's voice, suddenly found her smile. So when Jervis pulled back to look at her again, he was happy to see that he had made her smile. And with that, he matched her smile with an almost evil-looking grin.

"And I promise you, dearest," he told her, "this escape will not be a discreet one."

* * *

"If it's a party I want in," whispered Harley to the group. "At least it would save Mistah J the time of tryin' to figure out how to bust me 'atta here."

Jervis waited patiently till his arm was completely healed to the day that the bandages were taken off. After that, and after thinking over the matters carefully, he told the other rogues about his plan of escaping from Arkham.

He had tried asking Two-Face and the Ventriloquist beforehand, but Dent lost the coin toss and decided to stay while the Ventriloquist had already escaped the very day he decided to ask the latter mentioned.

As of the moment, he was already asking the others to join, as they gathered around the couch at the common room.

Poison Ivy rolled her eyes on what Harley just said, just as Jervis was about to ask her.

"Miss Isley..." Ivy turned her head towards him. "Are you to join us?"

Ivy was silent for a moment, then raised her hand to study her nails. "Yeah, sure," she said. "I'm getting kinda bored here already. If you ask me it's about time."

"Wonderful," said Jervis almost to himself. He then looked towards the professor. "And what of you, Jonathan?"

The professor tried to look uninterested as he looked away from the Englishman. "You know that I'd say 'yes', of course. Furthermore, I've heard from the news that some so-called daredevil is parading around Gotham with the title of 'fearless'." He continued to look away into the middle distance, as a creepy smile crept across his face. "Let us just see how _fearless_ he is indeed."

Jervis smiled to himself more. He expected such from Jonathan, and was delighted. And so, he turned his attention towards the only rogue left to ask. "And you, Edward? _'Won't you join the dance?'_"

Edward Nygma stood beside Poison Ivy with a hand to his chin, looking thoughtful.

"Hmm... This "party" you are all planning could be quite an entertainment tonight. I might even join you," he said, then turned his gaze towards the scientist from across him. "Or rather, I could use it as a distraction for my own brilliant escape." Edward then shook his head. "No, I'll not be joining you. You all do what you want tonight, but I'll be making my own escape." With that, he left.

"Well, looks like it's just us," declared Harley. "So, how do we do it?"

Three pairs of eyes expectantly looked towards Jervis. The scientist in return, smiled at them and splayed his hands.

"Simple, Miss Quinn," he said as he put his hands together. "We just have to be ourselves."

* * *

Dick arrived at the Batcave already dressed as Robin, as he approached the Dark Knight standing next to Alfred.

"So, what's for tonight?" the young man asked.

"Batgirl called," replied Batman. "There's a mass breakout happening right now at Arkham. We have to hurry." The vigilante then walked towards the Batmobile, followed closely behind by Robin.

"I didn't know it's possible for them to have a party without a _clown_," said Robing with a smile.

"We'll deal with Joker some other time," said Batman as he got to the driver's seat. "For now, we need to get to Arkham before we find ourselves having more than one rogue running about in Gotham to capture."


	16. Chapter 16

**- Chapter 16 -**

As Harley Quinn was led away to be taken back to her cell, and that the chaos in Arkham had just settled down, Commissioner Gordon and Batman were just about to discuss if ever there were any inmates of high-notoriety who escaped when at the same time, officer Montoya appeared and approached them.

"I have bad news and really bad news, Commissioner," the lady officer said as she came to a standstill. "Which one do you want to hear first?" Gordon quirked up a brow.

"Alright, I'll bite," said the seasoned policeman. "Start with the really bad news."

"The inmates who were able to escape were all members of the Rogues gallery," answered the lady officer, causing Batman to narrow his eyes behind his mask.

"And the bad news?" asked Gordon.

"There's five them."

Gordon sighed. "Great, we got six psychopaths out there now."

"Seven," corrected Batman.

Gordon looked up to the vigilante. "What?"

"The Ventriloquist left a 'dummy' in his cell," answered the Dark Knight. "None of the staffs noticed it...until now."

"So Wesker's out there too, huh?" Scratching his head, Gordon suddenly looked tired but for just a moment, as he once again looked up to Batman and said, "Looks like we're gonna have some real work to do after this."

* * *

Jonathan and Jervis had parted ways at an alley, as Alex tagged along, while already having her long-bunny ears headband on just to be careful if ever they encounter any trouble.

Jervis and her had decided to hide in an abandoned building. It wasn't much of a home to call, but they needed a place to hide until morning arrives. Then they would be on the run again. And not only were they to run away from the police, but most importantly, away from the Batman.

The poor and dusty bed in one of the rooms inside the building was the only one they could use. Not that they had any problem of sharing it. They were still lucky though that the water supply in that building was still running. It wasn't quite surprising anymore, judging by which part of Gotham were they at the moment.

A few minutes after Alex had decided to take a shower, Jervis had decided to part from his Arkham issued inmate uniform and get dress in his Mad Hatter regalia. He already had his blue pants on and was in the middle of buttoning up his lime-colored long-sleeved shirt, when the door to the bathroom opened. When he turned his head towards the general direction, he saw Alex with just a towel covering her body.

Jervis stood frozen at the sight, especially on how Alex blushed a shade of pink.

"Oh, you're getting dressed already?" she asked, her eyes were on the floor. "Well, I was planning to get out of our clothes, but..."

Needless to say, Jervis already knew what the brunette wanted to say. And it is also needless to say what they did next.

Afterwards, they lay on the bed, (if it was still to be called a bed), and was fast asleep for a few hours, till Alex stirred and woke up to find two arms wrapped around her upper body in a possessive manner. She only smiled to it, as she once again closed her eyes. For her, with her "Hatta" being that possessive over her, it was both good and bad. It was wrongly good, but sweetly bad.

* * *

"What?"

That morning, Joker had stumbled upon the morning papers while he was in one of his hide-outs.

"They threw a party? And I wasn't there?"

For a moment his pale face looked sad, then it turned into a deadly, angry look, as he tore the newspaper into half.

"**THEY THREW A _PARTY_?**" he shouted. "**AND I WASN'T THERE?**"

He kicked down a nearby chair.

"Who told those good-for-nothings that they can have a party at Arkham without me?" he said angrily. "_Me_. The Clown Prince of Crime. What's a party, WITHOUT A CLOWN!"

He walked back and forth in the room, grasping a nearby clown-doll, (probably owned by Harley), as though he was choking the life out of it. "When I get my hands on the mastermind of this whole thing," he said between clenched teeth, "I'll...I'll..." He ripped the head off the doll. "**I'LL TEAR HIM TO SHREDS, THAT'S WHAT!**"

Suddenly, he settled down, looking thoughtful with a hand under his chin.

"But who?" he asked himself. "And how? How am I suppose to know who-"

He stopped abruptly, remembering something that he read from the newspaper. "Wait a Gotham minute."

Looking around for the other half of the torn newspaper, the one that had the headlines on, he picked it up and scanned it. When he got what he was looking for, his lips curved into an evil grin. Marching towards the door of his room, he opened it and addressed his two goons who were at the couch, whom immediately took notice of him the moment the door swayed open.

"Boys, I want you to get ready for tonight," he said to them.

"Sure thing, boss," said one. "What's it gonna be this time?"

"We have a need to bust into Arkham," said Joker, his evil grin wider than ever.

The two goons shared a look. "Bust _into_ Arkham, boss?" asked another.

Picking up a nearby picture frame of Harley, Joker looked down on it. Since his face was a blank, even though he had a grin on his face, it was hard to tell what was on his mind. "I think it's about time we get a little special someone of mine out of there."

Again, the goons looked at each other, then back to Joker. "No problem, boss," they both said in unison.

* * *

It wasn't the first time that Alfred glanced up towards the rear-view mirror of the car to have a brief look at the lonely passenger sitting behind. And based on his observations for the last fifteen minutes that they were in the car on the way to Wayne Enterprise, Alfred thought that Bruce was thinking rather seriously about something, and that he had a good idea of what could be.

"You seemed rather deep in thought since this morning, sir," said Alfred, finally deciding to break the silence. "A penny for your thoughts, if you will?"

Bruce made a quick glance over to his loyal butler, and smiled a little as he once again looked out of the car window. "Just thinking about where to start, Alfred."

"Ah. The little hunt, I assume?" asked Alfred.

Bruce raised a dark brow. "Oh, so now you're calling it a hunt?"

"Forgetting that I said that, sir," said Alfred, not answering the question, "I understand why you wonder as to where you should start. Considering the fact that there are seven of those rogues out there."

And just by what the butler said, Bruce grew even more serious as he went back to being thoughtful again. "Dick can't help me for three nights starting now. He's got exams to see to," he said almost entirely to himself.

"And you wouldn't want Batgirl to give up her post on night-patrol," added Alfred, taking a right turn. "Not with you being far busy somewhere else on a more important cause."

"There's just no rest for these guys, Alfred. And with that, neither do I."

"Then I assume you'd be out much late at night than usual, sir?" asked Alfred rather frankly.

Bruce didn't reply and just smiled. It wasn't like he needed to say anything at all.

* * *

Jonathan wasn't entirely happy at all in seeing two familiar faces who came knocking at his doorstep. But he couldn't do nothing less, nor more, but let them in since they were already there. And so there they were, all three of them having some bread and butter for breakfast at a dusty table inside a creepy haunted house which most people don't take much interest anymore.

"You shouldn't have come here," said the professor, glaring at the Englishman sitting from across him. "Now because of the two of you showing up at my doorstep, my location is compromised!"

"And yet you let us in," said Jervis, not even minding to let Jonathan see the smile on his face.

"Of course I'll let you in!" Jonathan sat bolt upright on his chair. "It wasn't like I have any other choice. How did you even know I'd be here in the first place?"

The scientist shrugged. "I just remembered this morning at waking up that you left a goodly amount of fear toxin here the last time you were taken to Arkham by the Bat. I reckon I was here the very night before it happened."

"Oh indeed, you have such good memory," said Jonathan, once again settling more comfortably on his chair. "To think that you found your way back here again."

"Oh, pish-tosh, Jonathan," said Jervis with a dismissive wave of a hand to the redhead who sat from across him. "No one saw us, so there is no need for you to be angry at me or Alex. Not to worry at all."

"No matter," said the professor almost to himself. "After you leave I'll pack up all the toxins left and leave immediately tonight. The moment it gets dark enough."

At this, Alex finally decided she should leave the table. "Uhhh...I think I should clean up." She took all that was on the table, stood up and left. And all that she could think of with a bored expression on her face was: _'Men'_, as she sighed, disappearing into the kitchen. If it could still be counted as a kitchen.

When the brunette was finally out of ear-shot, Jonathan, still scowling, leaned over to the scientist, and said in a whispering tone one of the most unexpected words. "So what exactly are you planning about her?"

Jervis' brows rose but eventually his expressions turned serious just as quickly. "You still don't believe that my feelings for her are true?" he said in the same lowered tone.

"Even in such a short time," replied the professor, "you _have_ proven that fact true indeed." As the redhead settled more comfortably on his chair again he continued, but still with a lowered voice. "But what I meant was what else do you have in mind about your little relationship."

The scientist frowned slightly. "I'm not following you, old chap."

"Oh please, Tetch. I know you." Once again, Jonathan leaned over, one elbow on the table. "You have considered some time now the 'what if' question, if I am correct. _'What if she leaves you?' 'What if you lose her to another man?' 'What if you lose yet another woman that you love...again?'_ Am I getting warm?"

By the expression on Jonathan's face, it was as if he was saying those words in a cruel way. But either way, understanding was dawning upon Jervis, and it was just a second later when he was in full realization that the redhead professor said it out straight.

"Normally, us humans would think that the first step to have possession over a loved one _completely_, is binding them to us. Admit it, you have considered about putting 'a ring around her finger'."

The scientist looked away. He looked down on that old furniture that's still suitable to be a table. And he remained quiet. He wasn't certain what to say as a reply.

* * *

Night time...

A blue almost wrecked car with windshields having several small holes that was likely made by bullets, came to a screeching halt near a dark area somewhere near an abandoned power plant. Harley then stepped out of the car right before two men came out themselves.

"Puddin'!" the blonde greeted the man in a purple trench coat with open arms.

"Harley, baby!" greeted back the Joker, welcoming Harley into his arms.

After they shared a brief embrace, they pulled back from each other, wide smile on their faces.

"I knew you'd get me out of that dump!" said Harley gleefully.

"Of course, Pooh," replied Joker. "But for now, let's go home. We have _lots_ to talk about."

The grin on Joker's face showed a very familiar evilness about him, but Harley didn't even gave it a note. Either she was used to it already or what, she just didn't mind so long as she was once again with her beloved puddin'.


	17. Chapter 17

**- Chapter 17 -**

Usually, a person would need at least eight hours of sleep, but Jervis Tetch isn't just any other person. His "_psychological condition_" makes him sleep with only two or three hours, and on most times, he wouldn't sleep at all.

When at Arkham, he'd read his books, or perhaps recite Carroll, but he'd usually end up falling into a conversation with Jonathan Crane who has the same sleeping disorder as he. They'd talk about anything they could think of, and sometimes the others would join in with or without permission, (mostly without). The guards in their night shift would just let them be, having been full aware of their sleeping disorder.

His better half on the other hand was still in the process of getting use to it. Jervis would usually find Alex greeting him with a slight pout with arms across her bosom in the morning. He always slip out of bed from her side at least an hour before dawn and it didn't quite settle with her, as he found out many a times.

And yet, he still do it once in a while, including at the very moment.

Jervis had silently slipped out not just from Alex's side, but also out and away from their hiding place and had went to the nearest jewelry shop he could find. He simply slipped a card tucked on the band of the guard's hat who was there for the night shift, then he went about in the shop looking carefully at rings.

He had thought about what Jonathan told him and he admitted that the professor was right. But to "ask for her hand" was not going to be that easy, considering the fact that they were not any other normal citizen of Gotham, and neither were they living normal lives. They were the criminally insane, wanted by the police and always had a Bat coming after them. They'd spend their time in hiding and in an insane asylum when captured. People might say that the marriage won't work or won't do any good at all.

Pish tosh! He's a member of Gotham's Rogues Gallery, a prominent member, and Alex, being his "mate", had become an official member herself. They won't give a damn what people might or may say. Everyone has equal rights of getting married, even people not in their right minds. Where did he got that thought?

He was still thinking of such when he came upon a diamond ring. Ah, yes, the "typical" kind of ring to give a to your fiancée. But Jervis had already decided that he would give Alex a ring that reminds him of her. That would remind him of anything about her. And on that very same moment, another ring caught his blue, searching eyes.

He looked up to the guard who was currently under his control.

"Excuse me, old chap but, can I have a look at this ring?" he asked.

"Sure, Mr. Hatter, sir," said the mind-warped guard. "But since I don't have the key to this box, I guess we'd have to improvise." The guard glanced down on the glass. "Which ring was it again?"

* * *

She still had yet to get use to his sudden mood swings.

Alex stood by the door frame of the room, wearing short shorts and a red tank top; it was ten to five in the morning. As she watched her better half sitting on the floor with his hands on his head, sobbing. But he wasn't like that about ten minutes ago, in fact, she woke up to his angry shouts as she assumed he was angry for some reason and had kicked the table. Then he was suddenly babbling to himself in a nervous tone before picking up a nearby glass and shattered it on the wall. Until finally, he sat down on one corner and started sobbing.

She would never understand him in that state, and she would never know what to do each time it would happen, and Alex was quite aware of that. The only thing she could do, was to be there for him.

Walking toward him as she knelt down, Jervis had just noticed Alex for the first time. He didn't know she had been watching him. As she wrapped her arms around him, resting her chin on his blond head, he slowly lowered his hands and hesitantly returned the embrace, burying his tear-stained face in her bosom, almost half-knowing what he was doing or what was happening.

She can never understand him like how a professional psychologist could, or a psychiatrist, because she was neither. But either way, she'd stay by his side, no matter what.

Two hours later, in another hiding place, another couple can be seen having their usual breakfast at their table.

"So it was him, huh?" said the Joker, in the process of swallowing his food. "Are you sure, Harley?" he asked after drowning the food with a goodly amount of water.

"Yep!" confirmed Harley, being in her casual attire with her make up off. "But there was no plan, really," she continued, "Hat jus' asked us if we want'a join him. He jus' let us have fun and start the party however we like. All he needed to do was play his tricks with his cards and get the guards out of the way."

The clown nodded and was silent again, meanwhile Harley was becoming curious as to why her beloved _puddin'_ was asking about the mass breakout in the first placed so she asked, "Why'd ya ask, Mistah J?"

He looked up, and smiled. "Well you see, pooh" - he placed a hand under Harley's chin - "it's not that I care who started the party, it's just that I care why he started the party without me." He delicately gestured a hand to himself by placing it to his chest. "I want to express how I felt about the entire thing. And do you know how I felt?"

Harley shook her head with pure innocence, not really knowing.

"I'm furious about the whole thing! THAT'S WHAT!" Joker shouted at the blond, slamming his fist on the table only to make Harley jump on her seat, as Joker shouted some more. "Furious as hell that I want to rip that buck-toothed pal of Jonnie boy's from limb to limb!" But the clown wasn't done, as he reached for a nearby knife, (where did that ever came from?), and threw it towards a dartboard with a picture of Batman. The knife hit the picture eventually, on the face.

When Harley once again met her puddin's gaze, she was shrinking on her seat under those soulless, scowling eyes. And when he raised his hand, she half-expected him to slap her, as she closed her eyes...But the slap didn't came, instead, the blonde felt a hand carefully placed on her cheek, as she opened her eyes only to find her puddin' looking down at her with a smile.

"So you see, pooh," he said to her. "Now, I want to find him, but not to kill him. He's not worth killing. But instead, I want us to visit him to give my kind of _friendly_ reminder of never doing it again. Capiche?"

Again Harley nodded. Then, Joker drew in closer toward her, causing her to freeze where she sat. He drew even closer that Harley expected him to kiss her, as she slowly closed her eyes, and waited for their lips to meet. But to her disappointment, Joker didn't kiss her and stood up straighter, drawing _away_ from her.

While the blond pouted, crossing her arms across her bosom, Joker said rather thoughtfully, a hand under his chin, "But to get Hat, we need a _Scarecrow_."

That was when a thought came to the blond. "I know a few places where the professor might be hidin'!" she said, sitting upright on her chair.

Joker looked down on her and reached a hand to her only to place it on her cheek. "Harley girl," he said, "you're the best." Then he planted a quick kiss on the same cheek and went off, leaving the blond with a goofy and rather funny look on her face and having a hand to her cheek.

* * *

At Wayne Enterprise; 8:30 in the morning...

Bruce sat behind his desk, looking down on his morning papers, with the headlines:** 'Batman Captured Ventriloquist! Others May Be Next!'**

He placed the newspaper on his desk and gazed out into the middle distance.

It was already half-past-twelve by the time he captured Arnold Wesker and brought him back to Arkham, by which, he went straight back home because of the 7:00 inspection. After all, he can't let his alter ego Batman get in the way with Bruce Wayne's responsibilities.

He kept in mind what little information the personality-troubled rogue gave him.

It was somewhere inside an abandoned building which he found was scheduled to be demolished judging by the sign outside. He had just cornered Wesker then, and with Scarface out of reach, he closed in.

"_Where are the others?_" he had asked when he got a hold of the rogue by the shirt.

"_I-I don't know_," Wesker had said. "_I haven't seen any of them._"

With a little more shove than just a push, he got Wesker to talk about having a little encounter with the Riddler. And since Nygma talks in riddles most times, he got that tiny bit of information that he needed.

"_I-I remembered Mr. Scarface asked him where he spends his time in hiding. H-He didn't answer directly, but he said he'll be at a place where 'floorings are on top of another' tomorrow night._ _I didn't know what he meant. T-That's all._"

Oh, but Bruce knew what Nygma meant _exactly_. He was somehow hoping that he might get the chance to find the others to be there as well.

* * *

Jonathan was in no condition in having "guests" in his place, _again_, but what kept him wondering and angry at the same time was how on Earth these people kept finding him. And if he had to deal with a blond-haired Englishman at first, now he had to deal with a blonde jester girl.

"Miss Quinzel, will you please put that down!" he cried, snatching away a container of his latest fear toxin from Harley's hands. "You might accidentally drop it if you keep shaking it in that manner!"

"Alright already, jeez," said Harley. "I know what it does, professor."

"Why are you here?" the professor asked, putting aside the container somewhere that's out of reach and out of vision of Harley's.

"I already told ya! Thought maybe you know where Ears might be hidin' with Hat so I can ask her to come for a little all-girls time."

Harley had then flopped herself down on the couch.

"What I meant is why come to me?" growled the professor.

"Who else do ya think would know?" replied the blond simply.

At this, Jonathan sat heavily on a nearby chair, shaking his head. Such is a price for having a contact; it meant you'll be contacted as well.

He stared at the blond for a moment.

"Look, I promise I ain't tellin' anyone where you're at, okay?" said Harley, holding out a hand to make a promise.

He sighed.

"I won't be able to get myself out of this until you get what you want, now would I?"

* * *

**A/N:** "My dear readers, thought I might want you to now, the next chapter would be the last of this story."


	18. Chapter 18

**- Chapter 18 -**

The Stacked Deck. A place where Gotham criminals can talk, drink, play cards in peace. Depending on how 'in peace' meant for each. It is a place where most of the notorious members of Gotham's Rogues Gallery sometimes spend time when not doing, or planning, anything.

As of the moment, three members of the Rogues Gallery had gathered at one table, one of them settled with having a cup of beverage, while the other two continued on with their card game.

Jonathan continued to scowl down on his cup, his thoughts were of the events earlier that day. After having seen Miss Isley in the Stacked Deck, he asked her if one Harley Quinn visited her and if ever they went out together for a _stroll_ in the city. The redhead did confirmed Harley showing up at her hideout but denied that they ever went out the city, since Harley wanted to spend more time with her beloved _puddin'_.

Ideas and assumptions had been popping in his head after Ivy had answered him truthfully. And to where all these were heading, he wasn't liking it one bit.

"That's it, I give up," said Ivy, throwing her cards on the table face up, having a hand under her chin. "It's either you're good in bluffing, or my luck's running short tonight."

Nygma gathered the money on the table with both arms, a pleased smile on his face. "Then that would make me the one whom luck favors more between the two of us."

Ivy said nothing and just shot a dirty look at the Riddler. When her green eyes wandered toward the other redhead who was sitting from across her, it was the first time she ever noticed the scowl on the professor's face.

"What's wrong with you, Crane?" she asked, causing the man addressed to look up to her. "You look like you're in a worse mood than the one I'm in."

The professor continued to scowl. "I should go," he said, as he stood up and started leaving.

"Oh, an appointment with fear, have you, Jonnie-boy?" asked Nygma, watching the professor took his Scarecrow mask from the table.

Jonathan, clenching his hands into fists, summoned all the self-control he had to fight the urge to turn back to Nygma, as he said nothing and decided to walk off. But before he was able to advance any further, a batarang was thrown on the table where the three redheads had been gathered around. As all three looked down on it, and noticed the red blinking light on the middle, all three ran as far away as they could from the table before the batarang exploded.

When all three redheads got back to their senses, gathered themselves, they stood up and looked around cautiously, keeping an eye around the shadows.

Batman stepped out into better lighting.

"No one's going anywhere but to Arkham."

Before any of the rogues was able to make their moves on the vigilante, gun cocks were heard, as the three redheads found themselves surrounded by the Gotham police. All three eventually gave up, holding up their arms, but Jonathan demanded that he needed to speak with the Dark Knight before being taken to the van.

"What do you want, Crane?" asked the Bat rather frankly as he stepped over to the professor.

"I know where the Hatter is," said the professor, causing a surprised expression upon the vigilante's masked face. "And I know the Joker will be there as well. I will tell you the location if you promise me...don't let that psychopathic clown try anything."

When the professor was dragged to the van to be brought back to Arkham, the Dark Knight already had the location and was on his way to the batmobile. He was frowning from underneath that mask, and was wondering more why the professor had given him such an information that easily. Something has got to be troubling Crane, and with the looks on the rogue's eyes, Batman was wishing he'd arrive in the place just in time.

"Going off, already?" a voice came from behind. It was Gordon. Batman looked over his shoulders to look back at the commissioner. It was as if the seasoned policeman was waiting for any such response, so the vigilante in turn did respond.

"There's still room at Arkham, isn't there?"

Gordon nodded, the expressions on his face unreadable but his voice didn't seem serious, nor joking in any such manner at all. "Yep. You know where the others would be?"

"I'm just on my way there." The Dark Knight then flung a black device toward the commissioner, as the policeman caught it deftly in the air with both hands.

"What's this?" asked Gordon, looking down on the small screen of the device, a red blinking dot was on it.

Batman had already hopped on his vehicle. "You follow that, you'll get to the place. But make sure you take the three who's in the van to Arkham first."

The black car had started on gear and not more than two seconds did the vigilante drove away before Gordon could reply. Nevertheless, watching the batmobile disappear after making a sharp left turn, Gordon said, "I'll be seeing you later, then."

* * *

In another part of Gotham, somewhere just downtown...

Screeching rubber over a road of asphalt can be heard, as the March Hare stepped on the gas and made a rather sharp turn at a right on the third block. Meanwhile, the Mad Hatter held on for dear life, silently scolding himself at the back of his mind for not putting on his seat belt when he got the chance.

They were both in costume, with Alex having decided to not wear the mask anymore, since everyone in Gotham already know who she was.

"Hatta, the next time you see the White Rabbit," Alex said all of a sudden, still driving fast, "at least think twice about following him, would you?"

Jervis only nodded, mentally arguing with himself whether or not he should reach for the seat belt and strap it on himself. Half of his mind was truly in attention to what Alex just said. He couldn't blame her if she was angry at the moment. He had tagged her along, saying that he saw the White Rabbit and told him to follow. The "following" eventually led them to go out of their hideout and into the city, where a few police officers recognized them and started shooting at them.

They left the car they used where it was, since they won't be able to get to it without avoiding the police and the bullets. So Alex quickly stole another car, and, having taken Jervis's hand gun with her, returned fire as they try to escape and not get caught to be brought back to Arkham.

They continued on at such speed, one that Jervis had thought could be the exact speed a race car driver would do with intent and determination to win. Until all of a sudden, Alex veered out of control. The car was violently turning from side to side, until the direction it was making had turned into a zigzag.

"Alex?" Finally Jervis found his voice, and looked over to the driver's seat, being fully aware that there was something wrong. He saw the brunette struggling to keep her eyes on the road while still trying to be in-control of the stolen vehicle, beads of sweat were appearing on her forehead.

The scientist could do nothing but trust that his better half would still be able to take a hold on every possible control and eventually come to a stop. And it did happen. Alex made a sharp turn at an alley and came to a screeching stop. Both of them panted heavily on their seats.

Several heavy breathing's later, Jervis looked over to the driver's seat again, only to find Alex squeezing her eyes shut in pain while having a hand to her left side, gritting her teeth together.

"Alex!" There was utter alarm in Jervis's voice, as he reached a gloved hand and placed it on the brunette's shoulder. "Alex, dearest, are you alright? How do you feel?"

"Must've been shot back there," she replied, as she looked down on her side, her white glove stained red with her own blood. She let her head fall back on the headrest as Jervis moved over to have a look on her wound.

"Do you think you can still be able to stand up?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

"Then I'll be driving from here. Let's exchange seats." He started to move as though he'd get out of the car.

"What? No, you can't," protested the brunette, which eventually stopped him as he was forced to look back to her with brows raised a few inches. "You can't do left-hand driving."

"Yes, well, I have been in America far too long for me to be able to learn how to do it," he said with reassurance.

"But you're not yet used to it..?"

Suddenly, Alex was taken off guard, as Jervis gave her a rather serious look on his face, with a subtle glare.

"Listen now, if you do not let me into the driver's seat, I will _make_ you." He slipped a gloved hand inside his blue coat, pulling out one of his 10/6 cards as he spoke. "And I'm begging you, Alex, do not make me do so."

They stared at each other for not more than three seconds, before Alex finally broke off the staring contest and opened the door, and got out. Jervis did the same as they exchanged places. After Alex finally got herself settled on her seat, and Jervis having settled on the driver's seat, he stepped on the gas and made for the road.

He was in the need to get back to their hiding place quickly, since a hospital was not an option for them. Alex might lose a lot more blood. He doesn't know what to do with the wound, but they'd figure it out somehow when they get back home safely.

* * *

Reaching "home" took about twenty minutes later. Having Alex's arm on his shoulder, while having one arm around her waist, Jervis entered by the back door of their hideout. They reached a certain table which Alex sat on, gritting her teeth together while having her hand on her wound.

"May I be honest with you, dearest?" Jervis suddenly asked, his eyes wandered about the brunette, concern was apparent on those blue eyes.

"Of course," replied the brunette immediately. "What is it?"

He pointed a gloved finger towards her wound. "I haven't the foggiest what to do with that."

She smiled at him.

"That's alright," she said, with great effort at that. Her wound was letting it hard for her even to speak, but she wouldn't want for him to notice that. She held out a finger towards a direction. "I think I saw a medical kit over there." Then, as he turned to get the kit, before he could ask why they even had a such a thing in their hideout, she quickly added, "I stole it from somewhere down town. I don't remember exactly where, but I thought it would be useful if I bring it along."

It didn't take long before Jervis came to her side with the kit, but before she could open it, they suddenly heard a familiar voice, causing both of them to look toward the direction where it was coming from.

"Aaawww. We're not interrupting anything, are we?"

Within seconds, Joker revealed himself, with Harley and his two thugs right behind him. Jervis had already stepped in front of Alex, sensing already that having the Clown Prince of Crime showing up in their midst was not a form of pleasant visit for any reason.

"You're presence here is not just for a friendly visit, I assume?" the Englishman asked, though he already knew the answer to it.

Joker feigned a hurt expression on his face, holding up his gloved hand to his chest.

"Why, Hatty," the clown said. "I'm hurt. Is there anything wrong about me showin' up here, in your...eh..." He looked around. "Your...humble abode? Your love nest? Your little piece of Wonderland on Earth?"

"Why are you here, Joker?" said Alex from behind Jervis, clutching her wound with her hand. If anything, she knew all too well that her "Hatta" and the Joker were never in any such good terms.

Joker shrugged indifferently, while Harley behind him wasn't entirely happy with the situation. Judging by the looks on he painted face. "Thought I want to see Hat here about the party he threw back at Arkham a few days ago. You know. The breakout?"

"What of it?" asked Jervis.

At this, Joker gave one of those grins of his that made so many people before and up till now, tremble in their shoes. "You really think you can just throw a party without me?"

"I don't take it to be my fault if you weren't around that time," said Jervis coolly.

Joker glared, his grin turning upside down. "Who gave you the right to be all smart and brainy and planning a mass breakout when I'm not around!" he shouted, causing the thugs and Harley to take a step backward. "Go on ahead and take the credit. Get your name and pictures on the papers, I don't give a damn!" He pointed his extended thumb at himself. "But _I_ always get the center stage when things happen at Arkham. And if you think I'll let you do it again, noooooo way. Think again, Hat!"

He then shouted "Boys!" before his grin came back again, and the thugs approached. Only to be stopped by the March Hare, who was giving out a rather venomous glare at them.

It stopped the thugs only for a moment, exchanged glances with each other, then continued their advance. Until the brunette spoke in a dangerous voice.

"Take one more step and I'll break your legs."

Again, the thugs exchanged looks, then looked back to their boss.

"Well?" said Joker a little annoyingly. "Strangle the Hare!"

"But boss," said one, "she looks like she can do it."

But when Joker reached for his pistol inside his coat, the two thugs advanced further and made to grab at Alex. But they were no match to the March Hare as long as she have that headband on.

She easily disposed of the thugs, who laid unconscious on the floor, as she pulled out the pistol holstered at her left leg and threateningly pointed it at Joker, who in turn was already pointing his pistol at her.

A pistol cock was heard from behind Alex, and Joker saw Jervis had drawn out his own pistol and was also pointing it at him. When Joker's gaze flicked to Harley, he found the jester girl unarmed at all. When Harley met her puddin's gaze, she quickly got out her own handgun from inside her bag and pointed it at the March Hare.

"Sorry, Ears," she said. "Nothin' personal."

None of them moved an inch. It was like a usual stand down that you'll see on violent movies, or a movie under a cowboy genre. There was tension in the air, and while both the Mad Hatter and his March Hare glared at the Joker, said clown continued grinning while Harley was wondering what will happen next when one of them pulls the trigger.

"You're better than I thought," said Joker at last, addressing Alex, as he was slowly reaching a gloved hand to the inside of his purple coat.

And then, at the same moment, the roof collapsed. As the four rogues scrambled back to their feet, they found the Dark Knight in their midst.

"Am I late?" said the vigilante.

A little "uh-oh" was heard from the Joker as he stood and started backing away. "Looks like Hat got lucky this time," he murmured to himself, then added a little louder, "Harley! Escape plan!"

"On it, Mistah J!"

Harley then threw something on the ground, and it released a form of gas in gray color. Luckily, it wasn't the Joker venom, it was just a cover for Joker's escape.

As the Wonderland duo went running out to the back, their hands on their mouth as they coughed and peered through the smoke, Batman tried to catch up with the clown couple, intent on not letting Joker escape.

Meanwhile, the Wonderland couple finally got out of the streets. Alex, still clutching her wound, fell on her knees, unable to take it no more. She was already getting weak, having lost a lot of blood, and the pressure she was giving it with her hand wasn't enough. It needed tending to and she needed it fast.

"We must get away, dear," said Jervis, having knelt on one knee by the brunette's side, who had already collapsed on the ground and was on a sitting position.

"No," she shook her head. "We stay...here."

"B-But.." the Hatter protested. But the Hare only held up one hand to him and smiled.

"I can't go on," she said, almost weakly. "Let's wait for him here. He'll know what to do."

And by 'he' Jervis already had quite a good idea who it was that Alex was referring to.

"If you say so, my dear," he said, coming to sit down by the cold street himself, pulling her close to him.

He felt her shiver.

"It's...cold," she said.

Slowly, he took off his blue coat, as they both shifted on their positions, then he put the coat around her. This time, it was she who scooted comfortably near him, burying her head on his chest.

"Jervis?"

"Yes, dearest?"

"Can you recite Carroll for me? I want to hear your voice till the Bat comes."

He smiled. "What would you have me recite to you?"

"Hmm... Anything...your choice."

He decided to recite The Lobster Quadrille.

"_`Will you walk a little faster?' said a whiting to a snail_..."

* * *

Batman left Joker and Harley tied up together, back to back. He wasn't about to call Gordon and the others just yet. He needed to find the Hatter and the Hare. Both of whom he found at the street as he went out the back door. The Hatter seemed to be in the middle of reciting Lewis Carroll again, but then stopped when the rogue heard him approach.

"Something wrong?" said the Dark Knight.

The rogue looked up. "She said we should wait for you."

Batman then knelt down and took a look on the brunette. When he saw the gaping wound on her side, he got out his remote to his batmobile and within seconds, the car came to a screeching halt in front of them.

He took something from the car and gave the Hare some first aid.

"She's already lost a lot of blood, but she's still alive," he said, eyeing the Hatter carefully. "Weak, but still alive. I'll call the police and have them bring an ambulance. Which would take her to Arkham. And you."

The rogue nodded.

It was for the first time, Batman observed, that he ever saw the Hatter with his waistcoat on. It was the same shade of blue as his coat and pants.

"You care for her, don't you?" he asked, surprising himself, but no indications of such surprise was shown on his masked face.

The rogue once again nodded, still looking down on the brunette in his arms.

"Then why did you have to drag her into this?"

Batman knew there was no sense in talking like this to one of his rogues, but there was something about the way the Hatter looked that moment that made him asked.

"You could have stopped her. You can still save here now."

To his surprise, the rogue gave a rather sad smile. "How?" He looked up to meet those masked eyes. "Tell me how without hurting her, and I may be inclined in following your advice."

The vigilante said nothing. He didn't know 'how' himself. It's more likely that the Hare wouldn't _cooperate_ to the idea either.

A minute passed before Commissioner Gordon arrived along with his men, and an ambulance...

* * *

A week later, in Arkham Asylum...

Two buffed guards escorted Jonathan Crane into the rec room.

Immediately, after the door was closed and the guards took their posts, Jonathan searched for a certain brunette, whom he caught sight eventually sitting by a table with a chessboard on top.

He crossed the room towards her, not giving any attention to the things around him, his brows slightly meeting on the middle of his forehead, but he wasn't angry. It was just his usual facial expression to ward off anyone who might easily annoy him. Though it never truly does work. A lot of the inmates still tend to annoy him.

"Ahem." He came to a standstill in front of the table. The brunette looked up to him with a quirked brow. "I believe that seat you're sitting on is reserved to one person only."

The brunette looked down on the chessboard. The pieces were untouched, not a single piece was out of its place.

"Said person isn't available at the moment," she said.

Alex had been released from Arkham's infirmary wing, surprising the doctors on how quickly she recovered from her gunshot wound. But a day after her celebration of being able to be with her "Hatta" again, it didn't take long. The Joker hadn't forgotten about the Hatter and for the second time, had placed the Hatter in a coma state.

While Jervis had been moved to the infirmary, Joker was sent to solitary confinement and won't be released till a fortnight. This had left Alex in a bad mood for the last few days, and she had been sitting around the rec room reading books. It was the first time she ever decided on sitting by Jonathan's and Jervis's table.

"Give it three days more," said the professor, sitting down on the chair from across the brunette by the same table. "A week at most, and he'll be back again. At least he doesn't have that ridiculous grin on his face like the last time."

The brunette nodded.

For the last couple of days, Jonathan hadn't said a single word to anyone about his and Jervis's little secret.

The Englishman had been keeping an onyx ring somewhere either about his person or in his cell. The black jewel was oval shaped adorning a gold band.

"Well, since you're here," Jonathan gestured a meaningful hand on the chessboard in front of him, "do you play?"

The brunette nodded. "Yeah. Jervis taught me."

"Good."

Fourteen moves later, Jonathan found himself in a trap. The move Alex did was a knight fork, where at the moment, he was being forced to choose from either losing his rook or his queen. Both pieces, according to the rules of the game of chess, are important officers.

He gave a subtle glare toward the brunette sitting across him.

"It would seem he had taught you well," he said.

She blinked twice, and grinned at him oh-so-innocently.

**~ END ~**


End file.
